Philippians 3

LIVING BY THE LIST

People love a good list, don’t they. Love to have the RULES OF LIFE boiled down to a simple list.

The cover story of this week’s Time magazine is a feature about BILL GATES. The richest man in America. The guy who earns more every second than most people earn in a year. His face is on the cover, and the story is called MY TWELVE RULES FOR SUCCESS in the digital age. Twelve top tips for succeeding in business in the age of computers.

Last time I heard, Bill was worth 97.36 billion dollars. So it’s worth a read. All his experience boiled down to 12 simple rules.

I’m reading another book at the moment, it’s got SIX RULES. Six principles for managing WEALTH. Which I guess you’ll need to know after you’ve followed the 12 simple rules from Bill Gates.

JAMES REDFIELD wrote a book called THE CELESTINE PROPHECY. An international best seller that’s all about NEW AGE SELF DISCOVERY. And in the CELESTINE PROPHECY he says there are NINE INSIGHTS that each human being needs to grasp as we move toward a greater spirituality.

Then there’s that OTHER BOOK you’ve got to read if you want to make life work. The SEVEN HABITS of a HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PERSON.

Boil life down to a simple list, and you’ve got a best seller on your hands.

Now what I want to ask you this morning, if you could boil down seven simple rules for pleasing God, what sort of stuff would you say? If TIME MAGAZINE said to you, you’re an expert. Give us the SEVEN KEY PRINCIPLES for getting right with God, what’s it going to look like.

Have a think about it. What’s on the list? Maybe things about your religious pedigree. I hear this sort of stuff a lot. Well, my UNCLE was an elder. My Grandfather was a Presbyterian Minister. My FATHER HELPED BUILD THIS CHURCH. Not sure why, but people like to tell me that sort of stuff. And then move on. Well I was CHRISTENED when I was two weeks old. That’s good, isn’t it. And I’ve been COMING TO CHURCH ever since. And here’s the big one… well, you need a few more than SEVEN rules to get right with God. You need TEN. And I’ve KEPT THEM ALL. All my life. Never done anything to hurt anyone.

Just imagine we’re climbing a ladder up to God here, baptised as a baby, ONE STEP UP; come to church… another step up. Keep the commandments. Up a step for each one you’ve kept. Look around; people ahead of you up a few rungs higher, people behind you, down a peg or two. And your list is coming along pretty well, isn’t it?

Paul’s got a list like that he gives the Philippians. But before we even look at it, I want to be clear – when he finishes giving the list, he’s going to SCRAP IT. It’s more a list of the sort of stuff OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT THINK. The sort of stuff Paul himself USED TO THINK – was the way to get right with God.

Pick it up in the middle of verse 4. Because if you want a list of the typical expert’s rules for getting right with God, here it is. And you’ll notice he’s talking about HIMSELF. He’s personally qualified in every one.

He says, "If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more. If you reckon YOU’RE AN EXPERT AT BEING RELIGIOUS, he says, TOP THIS…

1. Circumcised on the eighth day. Like every good Jewish boy. The mark of HIS INCLUSION into Israel. A great start.

Number 2, of the people of Israel. His dad was an Israelite, his mum was an Israelite. Genetically pure.

Number 3, even better than that, he’s from one of the best religious familes. Of the TRIBE OF BENJAMIN. The elite. He says, number 4, I was a HEBREW OF THE HEBREWS. The best of the best.

When it comes to getting born into the right religious family, Paul had the lot. Circumcision, the right breeding, the perfect start.

And there’s more.

Number 5. In regard to the LAW, God’s Old Testament Law, the commandments, the case law, the ritual law… an absolute expert. A PHARISEE. And not just a half hearted Pharisee, either. As for zeal, he says, I was right in there. Number 6. Persecuting the church. Opposing anyone we Jews thought had it wrong.

And number 7, as for legalistic righteousness, as for keeping the commandments, as for sticking to all the rules, absolutely first rate. See it there at the end of verse 6? As for legalistic righteousness, he says, FAULTLESS. Not just the TEN COMMANDMENTS. Six hundred and seventy three of them. Kept them all.

Well, folks, I’ve got some news for you today. Might be good news, might be bad news. Depends who you are. Bad news if you think a LIST LIKE THAT is going to do you the slightest bit of good when it comes to being RIGHT WITH GOD. Which is what the Jews thought, and which is what a whole lot of PRESBYTERIANS THINK as well.

But this morning I want you to see what the Bible says. And if there’s anything I want you to take home with you today it’s the very SURPRISING IDEA that being RELIGIOUS, is that coming up with a list like that, it doesn’t make you RIGHT WITH GOD at all. IN fact, it does the exact opposite.

A WARNING

Let’s take a minute to step back a bit and see what’s happening. Because there’s stuff happening in Philippi that Paul’s uneasy with – that he wants to WARN THEM about. There are influences in the air that need to be opposed. And you’ll see them back in verse 2, where in the bible in front of you you’ll see the words WATCH OUT FOR THOSE DOGS, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. Sounds like he’s talking about AXE MURDERERS, doesn’t it. Serial killers. And if you read it in the original language, he’s even more excitable. Because he doesn’t just say WATCH OUT the once. He says it THREE TIMES - WATCH OUT for those dogs, WATCH OUT for those men who do evil, WATCH OUT for those MUTILATORS of the flesh.

And you know who he’s talking about? He’s not talking about axe-murderers at all. He’s talking about RELIGIOUS PEOPLE. Who are so keen about pleasing God that they’re telling the Christians in Philippi that they need to become JEWISH… before they can be REAL CHRISTIANS. And the mutilation of the flesh he’s talking about, it they’re saying the way you’ve got to do that is BE CIRCUMCISED. And keep the Jewish law.

Now get this right. Paul can say BEEN THERE DONE THAT. Because he’s an EXPERT. And so there’s his list. He spells it out. He says, if there’s anyone who can climb the ladder to God by doing the right religious things at the right religious times, by keeping the rules and observing the laws… if there’s anyone who could have a fair shake at it, IT WAS ME.

And he lists it all off. The perfect list. And he says, IT DOESN’T WORK.

And you know what his whole list’s worth? You know what his good family background, his circumcision, his theology degree from Pharisee school, his legalistic righteousness, you know what it’s worth? Absolutely ZERO. Zip. I thought it was profit. I was wrong. Verse 7. Whatever was to my profit, I now consider LOSS… for the sake of Christ. Add it all up, says Paul, and it’s rubbish. In fact, worse than that.

Funny, sometimes we’re more polite than the bible is. If you’re looking at an NIV bible, it’s put in very polite English. Whereas Paul wrote in some very IMPOLITE GREEK. He says, whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. He says, whatever I had stacked up in the positive column on my ledger, how ever far I got up the ladder, it’s ALL RUBBISH. At least, that’s the word in the NIV bibles. Have a look at end of verse 8.

The Old King James version gets a bit closer to the mark. Louise was telling me about a bible study group at church when she was growing up. And her mum was leading this group of very proper older ladies, and they were going round the room taking it in turns to read a verse each. And the lady who got to this one just REFUSED TO READ IT. Because according to the King James version which is a less polite translating the original Greek, Paul actually says, All these things that I thought were to my credit, I count them BUT DUNG.

Now, the problem is, I’m not really getting this across to you if you’re not feeling a little bit offended. So he’s saying this. You reckon God’s going to be pleased with you because you were baptised as a baby? That’s just DUNG. You reckon God’s going to be pleased with you because you’re a good presbyterian, or a good baptist, or a good catholic? Doesn’t matter what tribe you come from, that’s just DUNG. You reckon God’s going to be pleased with you because you kept every old testament rule and law in the book? He says, I KEPT EM ALL. And now I just count it rubbish. He says, I count it all like the steaming pile you step in in a cow paddock. And you screw up your nose and you shake it off your foot.

Get it right. If you want to go to the Christians in Philippi and tell them they need to be circumcised, that they need to become like the JEWS and keep all the Old Testamen rules and laws, Paul says, it might SOUND OKAY. It might even make the TIME MAGAZINE GUIDE TO GETTING RIGHT WITH GOD. But he says I’ve DONE IT ALL. And I know. It’s NOT THE WAY TO GO. And if anyone tells you that it is, then watch out, watch out, watch out.

You know the problem? The problem is, if you’re doing that, you’re missing the point. Doesn’t matter WHAT’S ON THE LIST. Because as soon as you start making a list of what YOU HAVE TO DO to be right with God, you’re making the wrong sort of list.

Because as soon as you do that, you’re saying, I’m going to RELY ON ME. Paul calls it PUTTING CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH. And as soon as you do that, you’ve missed the point… that our CONFIDENCE is meant to be somewhere else.

Confidence is funny stuff, isn’t it. You notice, there’s a little word that almost always follows it. It’s the little word IN. And if you work through this chapter again later, you’ll find it popping up over and over again.

And the point is, it’s not how CONFIDENT YOU ARE that counts. It’s WHAT YOU’RE CONFIDENT IN. It’s like the Stock market. It’s not the FACT YOU’VE INVESTED that counts. It’s what you’ve invested IN.

And it’s the same when it comes to being right with God. From what Paul says here, you place your confidence in one of two things. He says you can put your trust in THE FLESH. By which he WHAT YOU DO. Or else you can put your confidence in JESUS. And what HE’S DONE. Simple choice. I can invest in ME Pty Ltd. Or I can invest in JESUS Pty Ltd. But the key thing is, you can NEVER DO BOTH. Because you’re not really trusting Jesus at all… as long as you’re hanging on somewhere else. Having an each way bet.

And the thing Paul wants to keep saying to the Philippians over and over again, is keep your confidence in JESUS. And nowhere else. Keep your faith in CHRIST. And not yourself. Invest your trust in JESUS. And not your own effort to be RELIGIOUS.

Just run through and pick up the thread of what he’s saying. We’ll be picking up on some of those Ins. Right from verse 1. See, don’t rejoice in other stuff. Rejoice IN THE LORD. He says, I’ll say it over and over again if I have to. It’s a safeguard for you. Follow it through. Verse 2. Watch out for those dogs who want you to be circumcised and follow the law – verse 3, see, don’t GLORY IN THAT STUFF… glory IN CHRIST JESUS. As opposed to what they want to do, which is PUT THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.

Where’s you’re rejoicing meant to be, where’s you’re glorying meant to be, where’s you’re confidence meant to be, where’s your FAITH MEANT TO BE? Same answer every time. IN CHRIST and what he’s done. And not in yourself.

Not a righteousness that comes from ticking off a list. You come to God, you say, God, I’ve got my baptismal certificate, and I got confirmed when I was 13 and went to morning church and night church every Sunday. Hey God, I won a prize when I went to Sunday school, and I played the guitar for fellowship group and my uncle is an anglican archdeacon I’ve led lots of Bible studies. And God says, BUT HAVE YOU TRUSTED JESUS? Or are you trusting in yourself?

Are you going to be FOUND IN HIM; with him in his death. With him in his RESURRECTION? Or are you going to putting your confidence in YOU?

CONCLUSION

Can you see, that’s the whole source of Paul’s CONFIDENT HOPE. Not what HE’S DONE. But what Jesus has done.

He goes on to say from verse 12, and we can’t cover it all in detail, the Christian life isn’t about WHERE YOU’VE GOT TO. It’s about WHERE YOU’RE HEADING. Pressing on for the perfection that Jesus calls us forward to in heaven. Straining forward towards the goal. Always imperfect. Always trusting Jesus. Always pushing forward. That’s the CHRISTIAN LIFE.

And so again, there’s a warning. Verse 17. Follow my example; and take notice of people living the way we’ve modelled… the pattern we gave you. And BE CAREFUL, he says with tears in his eyes, be careful of these people who are actually living as ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST – because they’re focussed on EARTHLY THINGS. The FLESH. What WE DO. Instead of what he’s done. Their mind is on EARTHLY THINGS – verse 20 – BUT OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN. Our hearts are somewhere else. And we eagerly await a saviour from there… the one who died and rose; who’s going to finish the word he started in us, and transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body.

It’s a great thing to look forward to, isn’t it? And the point is, as soon as we get that LIST mentality, as soon as we start thinking we need to earn our way in, work our way in, as soon as we start thinking IT’S ALL UP TO US… we lose the plot. We lose heart. Or else we get proud. There’s one more little IN, and it’s there in the first verse of chapter 4. He’s told us we need to REJOICE IN the Lord; to put our CONFIDENCE IN him; to have our FAITH IN him. And the only other thing we have to do is STAND FIRM IN the Lord. And not let go. Therefore my dear brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, THAT’S HOW you should STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, dear friends.

Not in you. Not in your good track record. Not in your seven rules for getting right with God. Not even with your TEN COMMANDMENTS. Not with your confidence in YOU AT ALL. But in the one who died for you, who rose for you… and who will finally TRANSFORM YOU. Stand firm… in HIM.

I don’t want to say much more about this… except that the things Paul told the Philippians to WATCH OUT for are things we still need to watch out for today, aren’t they? People who want to ADD to the gospel. As if just trusting Jesus isn’t enough. People who want to tell us that unless we do this, or do that, we’re not really full scale Christians. People who want to add RULES AND LAWS, or spiritual experiences, or their fine presbyterian heritage, or anything at all… to plain simple standing firm in the Lord. REJOICING in him. Will you WATCH OUT for things like that?