Philippians 3:1

He had been talking for probably 30 minutes. I don't think I said more than ten words during that time, and he just kept going on and on about all the things he had to give up, all the really big things he had to sacrifice to become a follower of Jesus and to go to Bible college. At 19 or 20 years old, all those sacrifices seemed significant. However, as I was listening, I was just kind of thinking, "Okay, and?"

I could tell that there was a part of him that almost expected me to be impressed by this sacrifice. Not only that I would be impressed, but there seemed to be an expectation that God should be impressed by all that was given up, all that was sacrificed to follow the Lord. As this person was talking to me, I kept thinking about a passage of Scripture that we are going to be looking at today in Philippians chapter three.

So, would you open your Bibles to Philippians chapter three in the New Testament? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will gladly bring you one. Philippians chapter three is right after the books of Galatians and Ephesians, and right before the book of Colossians, near the end of the Bible. We are going to be looking at the first 11 verses of Philippians chapter three.

Would you stand with me as we read through this section of Scripture? Paul says, "Finally, brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision who worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he has confidence in the flesh, I am more so. Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church."

Righteousness, which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Indeed, I also count all things lost 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 and 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 know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death. If by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Father, would You speak to us and give us insight by Your Spirit, through Your Word? Lord, we know and believe that Your Word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that we would be thoroughly equipped for every good work. So God, use Your Word as the fine tool that it is, and Holy Spirit, work in us to make us more like You. Transform us by the renewing of our minds, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

This section of Philippians is another one of the reasons that I can say with certainty that this book is my favorite book in the New Testament, if not my favorite book in all of Scripture. Philippians chapter three is a powerful passage, not just these eleven verses, but the whole section. This portion here is rather gripping.

The Apostle Paul begins with what is either the beginning of a very long conclusion, where he says, "Finally, my brethren," as if he's starting a two-chapter-long conclusion, almost like a pastor who says, "In conclusion," and you know that there are like twenty minutes left in the message. So either he's beginning a very long conclusion, or he is finally getting to the point after a very long introduction, as if to say, "And now finally," or "At last we come to this important point."

I think this is actually more accurate: this is more of just a transition than a conclusion.

Paul is moving on to another section of what he has been saying. He writes, "Furthermore, brothers and sisters," and the thing that Paul transitions to here in Philippians chapter three is very important. He states, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice, rejoice."

Now, that word "rejoice," of course, comes from the Greek documents that our English translations were derived from. Paul uses the word "rejoice" a total of eight times in this small letter. This is why many people for years have referred to the letter to the Philippian church as the letter of joy. He discusses rejoicing, joy, contentment, peace, and all of these things that build up to joy and happiness. This is why we've been calling our series "Happy."

At the beginning, we clapped our hands while watching the video because we want to live the life that Jesus spoke of when he said in John chapter 10, "The thief has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But I have come that you might have life and that you may have it more abundantly, that you might have it to its full." We want to experience what Jesus meant when he said, "These things I have spoken to you that my joy would remain in you and that your joy would be full."

We desire to experience the fullness of joy in Christ and to be happy. Our world is given to the pursuit of these sorts of things. In this passage, Paul commands rejoicing. The word "rejoice" here in this section of Scripture is in the imperative in Greek, which means he is commanding us to rejoice.

As I mentioned, he has already used this word, and the context is interesting. He first used it back in Philippians chapter one, verse 18. You can flip there briefly if you'd like. In that section surrounding verse 18, Paul talks about people who have come into the church. They are preaching the gospel, but they are doing so out of selfish ambition and greed for what they can gain from preaching.

Not only that, Paul mentions that these selfishly ambitious preachers are also working to make his life, task, and ministry more difficult. They are trying to destroy the work that God had done through the apostle Paul. You might wonder what your response would be if you were in Paul's position.

What would be your response to people who are actively trying to destroy your life's work out of selfish ambition? I can imagine my response would probably be rather negative. But notice what Paul says in Philippians chapter one, verse 18. He asks, how should I respond? Well, in every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is preached. And in this, I rejoice. Yes, I will rejoice. Whether out of false motives or pure motives, whether in pretense or truth, I am going to rejoice that Christ is preached.

It's hard to imagine that this would be his response in such a situation. People are speaking for their own selfish gain and trying to destroy his life's work. Yet he says, listen, I am going to rejoice that Christ is preached. The next time he uses the word "rejoice," he actually uses it a series of times in a string of verses. It's found in Philippians chapter two, verses 16, 17, and 18.

In Philippians two, verses 16, 17, and 18, Paul says, "Holding fast to the word of life, to the Scriptures, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ Jesus at His returning, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. And for the same reason, you also be glad and rejoice with me."

So three times in three verses, Paul says, I rejoice, I rejoice, you should rejoice. Yet again, the circumstances under which he gives this exhortation for the church to rejoice were not the greatest. You see, when Paul wrote this letter, he was in a prison in Rome, facing a trial for crimes he had not committed and ultimately facing execution. In the midst of that, he says, if this is my lot, if I am being poured out as a drink offering in this situation, I rejoice, and you should rejoice too.

How would I respond? How would you respond if you were in the same situation that Paul was in? Would it be rejoicing, or would it be complaint and dispute? If you're anything like me, and I imagine many of you are, it would probably be more like complaint and dispute because I tend to lean toward that. Yet here Paul says, rejoice; you should rejoice with me. I am rejoicing in this present situation that I am in.

Well, he uses it one more time in Philippians chapter two. It describes how the church at Philippi was going to rejoice when their minister, their apostle, someone they had sent to the apostle Paul, was going to return to them. He says, "I know you're going to rejoice when you see Epaphroditus."

Now, again, he uses it here in Philippians chapter three, verse one. He says, "You are to rejoice. I command you to rejoice." Point number one on your outline, if you have your sermon guide there: sometimes it is necessary to command joy. This is an important point, so much so that Paul does it two more times in this letter.

Flip over one page to the right to Philippians chapter four. Look at verse four. Again, in the imperative, in the Greek, it says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice." Twice, he gives this imperative, this command there in Philippians chapter four, verse four: "Rejoice. I command you to be glad. I command you to have joy."

Now, honestly, to command someone in the midst of pressing or difficult circumstances to be glad is almost on the same level as commanding someone who's getting ready to run into combat: "Don't be afraid." It seems almost futile; it seems almost vain. I command you, while you're in the midst of a difficult situation, to be glad, to be joyful, and to let your joyfulness resound with rejoicing.

Rejoicing is just verbalized joy, a vocalized expression of joy. So, Paul commands the church, "Rejoice, rejoice." It seems almost in vain to say, "Rejoice. I command you to do this thing." But sometimes, commanding joy is necessary; sometimes it's required.

If it were simply a command to be glad, saying, "I know you're going through the worst possible circumstance of your life, but be glad," you might think, "That is the worst bit of advice I've ever received. How can I possibly do that?" But notice Paul doesn't just stop with "Rejoice!" He says, "Rejoice in the Lord."

Rejoice in the Lord. While it is true that not every situation or circumstance we experience in this life is joy-inducing or joy-producing, it is also true that we will never face a situation in this life that we cannot rejoice in the Lord in the midst of. It has to do with where your joy and your rejoicing are found or seated.

When you receive the diagnosis from the doctor that it is terminal, there is no joy in that diagnosis. There is no joy in that circumstance. When you receive the news from the boss that you won't have a job next week, there is no joy in that situation at that moment. However, there is the opportunity, the possibility, and the reality of joy in the Lord. Paul says to rejoice in the Lord, which causes us to step back from the circumstance, whatever it is that we are going through, and to reevaluate, refocus, or reposition.

This is why Paul says at the end of verse one in Philippians chapter three, verse one, in the New Living Translation, "I never get tired of telling you these things. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious." In the New King James Version, he states, "I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith."

I know from counseling people over the years, talking with them, and praying with them as they go through pressing situations, that the challenges we sometimes face can come against our faith in such a way that we find ourselves really questioning what we believe. Paul says here, "I'm telling you this to safeguard your faith." Rejoice in the Lord in the situation and the circumstance that you go through. Find your joy in rejoicing, not in the present circumstances of life, but in the eternal circumstances of heaven.

Would you turn just one book to the right to the book of Colossians? This is actually one of the next books that we will be going through. In Colossians chapter three, look at the first four verses. The same author, the same circumstance: the Apostle Paul writes this letter from prison in Rome. Colossians chapter three, verse one states, "If then you were raised with Christ." He is talking to people who are Christians, as this is one of the terms that is applied to Christians.

Those who have been raised with Christ should seek those things which are above, in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above; focus on the things of heaven, not on the things of the earth. Why? Because you have died with Christ, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

And because this is true, verse four states that when Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Whatever earthly situation you find yourself going through today, whatever trial you might face in the second half of 2015, or whatever joy you experience, Paul says to set your mind on things above. Fix your focus, your attention, and your thoughts on heaven, not on the things of this earth.

How many of you have recognized that setting your mind on the things of this earth can be rather discouraging? Set your mind on things above, where Christ is. When you do this, you begin to understand the reality that when Christ, who is our life, returns, we shall return with him in glory.

All Orthodox Christians for the last 2,000 years have believed this important and simple truth: the same Jesus who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven will, in like manner, return one day. He is going to come again someday. As we read through the Scriptures about the second coming of Jesus, the Bible describes that at this event, his church, his people—those who have risen with Christ—will be returning with him in glory. If that is not joy-producing in the midst of whatever circumstance you go through, I don't know what is.

When Paul thought about these same things, he wrote in another one of his letters that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. His mindset was on the things of God and the things of heaven, not on the present circumstances he was facing. Therefore, he commands the church to rejoice in the Lord. He safeguards your faith by commanding you to rejoice, not in the present circumstance, but in the Lord. You must come to the place where your joy and rejoicing are found in God.

Jesus said to his disciples on the night that he would be betrayed by Judas Iscariot. It's recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 14: "Let not your heart be troubled." Now, they were about to go through really troubling circumstances, and he says, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. Were it not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will return to you and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

What is Jesus doing? I know the present circumstance can be troubling, but here's how you can not be troubled: set your mind on things above where Christ is. Paul does the same thing here in this passage in Philippians, chapter three. "Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord." I'm telling you this to safeguard your faith.

Then, in verse two, he continues: "Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the mutilation." Point number two on your outline is to beware of joy killers. Paul refers to joy killers here and talks about three different things, which actually point to one and the same thing. He starts out by saying, "Beware of dogs."

Now, he's not reading some sign on a fence somewhere. So what is he talking about when he says, "Beware of dogs"? Is he talking about literal dogs? Some people read the Scriptures in such a literal fashion that they think that's what he's talking about—beware of those little creatures that are running around, chasing you and biting you. But that's not what he's talking about.

So what is the metaphor about? I think some insight is given to us by Jesus's teaching in what's called the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew, chapter five. You can turn there if you'd like, but you don't need to; I'm just going to reference it. In Matthew, chapter seven, Jesus, speaking to his disciples, says this in verse six: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast pearls before swine or pigs, lest they trample them under feet and turn and tear you into pieces."

So, is Jesus talking about literal dogs and literal pigs? I don't know. Further on, in verse 15, he writes this: "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves or ravenous dogs."

Do not cast what is holy before these dogs. Beware of false prophets who are ravenous dogs or wolves. This warning applies not just to the teaching of Jesus, but also to the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

Turn in your Bibles from Philippians to the left, to the book of Acts, specifically Acts chapter 20. In this chapter, the Apostle Paul has stopped for a brief time to visit some friends in a church he had planted in a city called Ephesus. He has only a moment to spend with the leaders, the elders of the church at Ephesus, and he is giving them some final words.

In Acts chapter 20, verse 29, he says, "For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves are going to come in among you, not sparing the flock." The body of Christ, the church, is referred to as the flock, the sheep of God's fold. Paul warns that after he leaves, savage wolves will come in among them, not sparing the flock.

What are these savage wolves? In verse 30, Paul continues, "Also from among yourselves, men will arise. They will rise up speaking perverse things, false teachers to draw away disciples after themselves." Therefore, he urges them to watch. This is the same Greek word translated as "beware" in Philippians chapter 3.

Paul warns in Acts chapter 20, verse 31, "Therefore beware, watch, be on guard." He reminds them that for three years, he did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. He warned them that these false teachers would come in.

So, beware of these false teachers, these wolves in sheep's clothing. As Paul seeks to increase joy and rejoicing among the church at Philippi, he says to beware of joy killers. The first one is to beware of dogs. The second is to beware of evil workers.

These false teachers are seeking to infiltrate the church. Paul describes them as evil workers engaged in the work of destroying, through false teaching, the righteous works of the saints. Typically, they seduce or draw to themselves those who are not well grounded, those who are immature in their understanding of the Scriptures. This is why Paul, in another letter that he wrote at the same time, emphasizes the importance of being vigilant.

This year, in Ephesians chapter four, verse 14, Paul says that the work of the servants, the ministers in the church—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—is to equip the saints to build up the body of Christ. He emphasizes that we should no longer be children, as stated in Ephesians 4:14, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

Paul asserts that the leaders of the church are to equip the body of the church to be strong so that they are not tossed around by these false teachers, whom he refers to as "dogs." He warns to beware of dogs and evil workers. Thirdly, he advises to beware of the mutilation. All three of these terms—dogs, evil workers, and mutilation—refer to the same group of people. The word "mutilation" is also translated in other English versions as "the concision." This term specifically identifies who this group is, as Paul provides insight into exactly who the evil working dogs are with a sharp, pointed, and actually sarcastic word.

He is sarcastically referring to Jewish false teachers who come into the church, labeling them as the mutilation because they come from what is called the circumcision. Now, what is that? When God first called the man who became the father of the children of Israel, Abraham, He established a covenant with him thousands of years ago, as recorded in Genesis chapter 17. The sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants was circumcision.

I realize that this is not exactly a sign that one wears on the outside; it is not something one shares with others. However, it was the sign of the covenant relationship between Abraham and God. Fast forward thousands of years through history to the time when Paul was writing this, and the people of Paul's day from the Jewish religion—remember, Paul was also from the Jewish religion—boasted in that position. They claimed righteousness as descendants of Abraham and displayed this through their circumcision.

So, what happened? One of the early problems that the church faced as the gospel began to move to people was...

Who are not Jewish? Gentiles, non-Jewish people, became followers of Jesus. There was a group of false teaching Jewish individuals who followed the ministry of Paul. When Paul would leave, they would come in and say, "Okay, we know that you believe in Jesus of Nazareth, that he's the Messiah, but now you also need to do a few more things. The first thing you need to do is be circumcised. You're not really saved; you're not really right with God until you do this." You can see how that might cause some issues.

Paul actually had to write a letter dealing with this. It's called the letter to the Galatian church, and he talked about the same problem: this group of people came in and tried to destroy the church. Paul says to be on guard against these evil workers, these mutilators. Some people might say it seems rather disrespectful for Paul to refer to them as the mutilators. But again, remember that Paul himself was Jewish, and these individuals were boasting in their position. They believed themselves to be more righteous than the other Christians because of this religious act that was done upon them before they could ever even make a decision. Therefore, they thought they were more righteous and had a better standing.

Paul refers to them as the mutilators, using very sharp and pointed words, pun intended. They are joy killers. Beware of joy killers. What is a joy killer? I would summarize it like this: anyone or anything that would bring you under the burden of a religious righteousness. Anyone or anything that would bring you under the burden of a religious righteousness, saying that you are not righteous until you're baptized in this church, or until you partake of communion in this way, or until you have membership in this body.

This has been happening in churches ever since the church started. We are constantly given to this kind of mindset where we establish "us and them" positions and establish superiority based on religious things and traditions. Even in a church like ours, which I refer to as traditionally non-traditional, there are still traditions that we start to grab hold of, thinking that this is the right way.

You may not realize it, but you can develop a sense of superiority about how things are done in your church. This often becomes apparent when you visit another church and think they are doing it the wrong way. When the leadership at our church, including myself, the other pastors, and the elders, make changes, we sometimes receive a flurry of comment cards. These are prayer cards, but they often serve as comment cards without any names attached. They typically say things like, "Pastor, that's not the way we do it." Most of the time, I just toss them in the trash, but occasionally, I take a moment to consider them.

We tend to establish a sense of superiority, believing that our way is the right and righteous way to do things. If someone does not follow our methods, we may label them as unrighteous or wrong. It is easy to fall into this mindset, and Paul warns us to beware of it.

Interestingly, the church at Philippi was almost entirely composed of Gentiles. If you read Acts chapter 16, you can learn about the history of the Philippian church, which was started with all Gentiles. At that time, there were no Jews living in the city of Philippi, and there was no synagogue. Paul addresses these predominantly Gentile Christians, urging them to stand strong in the grace of Christ Jesus. He warns them not to let anyone seduce them into a religious relationship with God based on external membership or processes.

Why should we be cautious about this? In Philippians 3:3, Paul states that we Christians, whether Gentile or Jew, are the circumcision. It is noteworthy that he refers to predominantly Gentile Christians as part of God's people. He emphasizes three important points: we worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. These points are essential for your joy in Christ.

We are those who are right before God, not because of some external sort of righteousness or membership process. We are right before God as those who worship Him in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

What does it mean to worship God in spirit? Interestingly, in the Gospel of John, specifically in chapter four, Jesus meets a Samaritan non-Jewish woman at a well. She says to Jesus, "Listen, you Jews worship God in Jerusalem at the temple. We Samaritans worship God here on this mountain of Gerizim in Samaria." Who's right? Who's doing it the right way? This is a good question, and it is one that the church has been asking for ages. Is it the Baptists? Is it the Pentecostals? Is it the Presbyterians? Who's doing it the right way? We all want to be right.

So she asks, "Who's right?" Jesus responds, "It's not about who's worshiping there or who's worshiping here. The day is coming, and now is, that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and truth. The Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth." Paul picks up on this and says that we, who are of this body, the family of God, worship God in spirit.

The word translated as worship here speaks of service. It's not just singing songs; it's actual service, devotional service in spirit to the Lord. It doesn't have to take place at a specific temple or in a specific prescribed way. It is the devotion to the Lord in spirit that Paul speaks of here. We are devoted to God, holy in our spirit.

What does this look like? I think it resembles what Paul says in Romans chapter twelve, where he urges the church, "I beg you, brothers and sisters, by the mercy of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord." We are to devote ourselves completely to Him. Paul states that we are the circumcision who worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus.

Now, just a few verses before, he said to rejoice in the Lord. We are those who rejoice in Christ Jesus. What does that mean? We find our joy and our rejoicing not in our religious efforts or rituals, but in the finished work of Jesus. We rejoice in our right standing before God based on what He did on the cross, not by our own efforts.

What we have done for Him is significant. Point number three on your outline is that Jesus is the source of expanding and enduring joy. You will never find joy that grows and lasts apart from Jesus. He is the source of expanding and enduring joy.

He says we are the body of Christ, the circumcision who worship God in spirit. We rejoice in Christ Jesus. Thirdly, we have no confidence in the flesh. Those who are truly right before God, who have a growing and lasting joy in God, have no confidence in the flesh. It’s not that they have less confidence in the flesh; they have absolutely zero confidence in the flesh. They have no trust, no boast in themselves that they have done anything to make themselves right before a holy God. In fact, all the things they have done that they thought were right are before Him as filthy rags, as the prophet Isaiah said 2,800 years ago.

Those who are truly right before God understand this reality: they are not right in their standing before God based on anything they have done in their flesh. Therefore, we have no confidence in the flesh. It’s Jesus plus nothing. Unfortunately, 2,000 years ago and today, there are people who come into the church and say, "I know you've got that Jesus thing, and that's really good, and you should keep that Jesus thing, but you also need membership in this church. You also need baptism in this way. You also need to partake of the Eucharist or communion by this fashion, or else you're not really right."

Paul here says, "No, we have no confidence in the flesh." This group of Jewish false teachers was saying, "Listen, I know you have that Jewish thing, but you have to be circumcised as well. You have to do that, or else you're not going to be really right before God." They boasted in this, claiming, "We are really right; you're almost right."

I have met Christians who, even without realizing it, express this sentiment. They might say, "You go to what church? Oh yeah, we've heard about you. You know, you guys have good Bible studies, but..." This attitude is very belittling.

The reality is we are those who have no confidence in the flesh. But then notice what Paul says in verse four: "Though I also might have confidence in the flesh." If I wanted to boast about my flesh, I could. In fact, if I wanted to boast about my flesh, I could boast more than anybody else. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. If you want to have a contest of flesh, let's have a contest of flesh.

He gives his credentials. He was circumcised on the eighth day, which is an interesting thing to boast about. But if you're Jewish in that day, it's what you boast about—circumcised the right way on the right day. He is of the stock of Israel, from the right family, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He mentions that he is from the tribe of Benjamin, with an unspoiled lineage. Concerning the law, he was a Pharisee, part of the strictest religious sect of the day. Concerning zeal, he was persecuting the church. If anyone was zealous about their faith, it was Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the Apostle—more so than anybody else.

Anyone watching the AD series on NBC last week saw a great portrayal of this. Although I don't think that Paul had blue eyes and spoke with a British accent, the scene where Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus on the road to Damascus is powerful. In that moment, everything comes crashing down. He was zealous; he was trying to destroy the Christians. According to the law, he says he is blameless, unimpeachable. If you were to examine the life of Saul of Tarsus, you would find nothing that was out of order with the law.

Point number four on your outline: religion can be seductive. Religion can be very seductive; it's attractive to us. This is why 98% of the world is religious. Think about that: 98% of the 7.3 billion people who populate this world today are religious. They might be Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim. Go down the list of all the different beliefs, and even those who classify themselves as pagan. We are back to where we were 2,000 years ago. Whatever it may be, 98% of the world is religious, and religion is seductive. We love to have these things that we can measure ourselves by.

Paul boasted in three things: his forefathers, his foreskin, and his flesh. He had it going on. If anyone else thinks they can do better, he could do more.

But look at this for a moment. What things were gained to me, those things that everybody counted as valuable among my peers, those things that were sought after, I have counted loss for Christ. Indeed, I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. I count them as rubbish that I might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which I boasted in for more than thirty years of my life. I boasted in that I was righteous according to the law, 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 might know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain from the resurrection of the dead. Paul says he came to the realization, and there it was on the road to Damascus, pictured very well in the A.D. series. There is the risen Christ, and everything that he esteemed and valued became meaningless. All of a sudden, these things that he strove for, tried to get, and hold and maintain, he says, in light of Him, these are nothing.

Now, don't misunderstand. Prayer, service, giving, and devotion, and all these sorts of religious disciplines are not necessarily bad things, but those don't make you righteous. They might be the things that people who are righteous do, but people who are righteous are righteous because of what Jesus did. They do those things out of reverence, worship, joy, and service to God for what He has done for them. Paul says he counts all these things as loss.

And so there I was in that conversation with that young man. Finally, as he stopped talking, I said, "You know, you apparently gave up a lot to become a Christian and follow Jesus—your snowboarding career and all of that. What have you actually lost?" In light of what you've gained, what have you actually lost? We all need to come to that point where we recognize that all those things we thought were so great, in light of Him, are nothing. What have we actually lost?

And so, point number five on your outline: to lay hold of joy in Christ, you must lose your religion. Religion says, "I have a right standing with God because of all the things that I have done for Him." To lay hold of joy in Christ, you've got to lose your religion.

For many years, evangelical Christians have said, "I don't have religion or a religion. I have a relationship." What does that mean? It means I have a right standing before God, not because of the things that I've done, but because of what Jesus has done for me. He has made me a child of God. Therefore, I have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, not because of what I've done, but in fact, in spite of what I've done.

So, Father, would You direct our time now as we worship You? Direct our minds and our hearts toward You as we remember Your body and Your blood shed for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.