Happy and You Know It 7 | Losing My Religion

Oh, it was one of those almost surreal situations in which you sense in the moment that you're expected to feel bad, but you don't. Have you ever had one of those? He had been talking for probably thirty minutes, and I don't think I said more than ten words during that time. 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 nineteen or twenty years old, all those really big things seemed significant, but as I was listening, I was just kind of like, "Okay." I could tell that there was a part of him that almost expected me to be impressed by this sacrifice. Not only that, there seemed to be an expectation that God should be impressed by all that was given up and 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're going to be looking at today in Philippians chapter 3. So, would you open your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3 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 3 is right after the books of Galatians and Ephesians and right before the book of Colossians, near the end of the Bible.

We're going to be looking at the first eleven verses of Philippians chapter 3. 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 more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews."

Concerning the law, I was a Pharisee. Regarding zeal, I persecuted the church. As for righteousness, which is in the law, I was blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet 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 3 is a powerful passage, not just these 11 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 saying, "In conclusion," and you know that there are still 20 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, and I think this is actually more accurate: this is more of 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 3 is very important. He says, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice."

Now, that word "rejoice," of course, is translated from the Greek documents. Paul has already used it several times; he uses it a total of eight times in this small letter. That is why many people for years have referred to the letter to the Philippians as the letter of joy. He talks about rejoicing, joy, contentment, and peace—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." We want to experience what Jesus spoke of 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 want to experience the fullness of joy in Christ and to be happy.

Our world is given to the pursuit of those sorts of things, and here in this passage, Paul commands rejoicing. The word "rejoice" in this section of Scripture is in the imperative in the Greek, which means he is commanding us to rejoice. As I said, he has already used this word, and the context is interesting. He first used it back in Philippians chapter 1, verse 18. You can flip there briefly if you'd like.

In that section surrounding verse 18, Paul is talking 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 get from the work of preaching the gospel. Not only that, Paul mentions that these selfishly ambitious preachers are also working to try and make his life...

Task and ministry are more difficult when people are actively trying to destroy the work that God has done through the Apostle Paul. You might wonder what your response would be if you were in Paul's position. What would you say to people who are trying to undermine your life's work for their selfish ambition? I can imagine my response would be rather negative.

However, notice what Paul says in Philippians chapter 1, verse 18. He asks how he should respond, and he concludes, "In every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is preached, and in this I rejoice. Yes, I will rejoice." Whether the motives are false or pure, whether in pretense or truth, Paul chooses to rejoice that Christ is preached. It is hard to imagine that this would be his response in such a situation, where people are speaking for their own selfish gain and trying to destroy his life's work. Yet, he declares that he will rejoice because Christ is preached.

The next time Paul uses the word "rejoice," he does so multiple times in a series of verses found in Philippians chapter 2, verses 16, 17, and 18. In verse 16, he 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 or labored in vain." He continues, "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."

In these three verses, Paul emphasizes rejoicing: "I rejoice, I rejoice, you should rejoice." Yet, the circumstances under which he gives this exhortation to the church were not the greatest. 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 states, "If this is my lot, if I'm being poured out as a drink offering in this situation, I rejoice, and you should rejoice too."

Again, how would I respond? How would you respond if you were in the same situation as Paul? Would it be with rejoicing, or would it be with complaints and disputes? If you're anything like me, and I imagine many of you are, it probably would be the latter.

More like complaint and dispute, because I’m given to complaint and dispute. Here, Paul says to rejoice; you should rejoice with me. I’m rejoicing in this present situation that I’m in.

He uses it one more time in Philippians chapter 2, describing 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 back to them. He says, "I know you’re going to rejoice when you see Epaphroditus."

Now again, he uses it here in Philippians chapter 3, verse 1, and 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 4. Look at verse 4.

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 4, verse 4. "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, you’re in the midst of a difficult situation. I command you 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 to 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 was simply a command just to be glad, I know you’re going through the worst possible circumstance in your life, but be glad.

You go, 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 "just rejoice." He says, "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's 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 circumstance or situation in that moment. But there is the opportunity, the possibility, the reality of joy in the Lord.

Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord," which causes us to step back from the circumstance, whatever it is that we're going through, and to reevaluate, refocus, or reposition. This is why Paul says at the end of verse 1 in Philippians chapter 3, verse 1, 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 says, "I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith."

Now, I know from counseling people over the years, talking to people, and praying with people who are going through pressing situations that the challenges we sometimes face in our lives can come against our faith in such a way that we find ourselves really questioning what we believe. I'm telling you this to safeguard your faith. Rejoice in the Lord in the situation and circumstance that you go through. Find your joy and 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're going to be going through. Look at the first four verses of Colossians chapter 3.

The Apostle Paul writes this letter from prison in Rome. In Colossians chapter 3, verse 1, he states, "If then you were raised with Christ." He is addressing people who are Christians, as this is one of the terms applied to them—those who have been raised with Christ.

Paul continues, "If then you were raised with Christ, then seek those things which are above, in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above; put your mind on the things of heaven, not on the things of the earth." He explains why: "For you have died with Christ, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Because this is true, he adds, "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, 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 is 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—are going to 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 reflects on these same things, he writes in another one of his letters, "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.

Through this, he commands the church to rejoice in the Lord. I am safeguarding your faith by commanding you to rejoice, not in the present circumstance, but in the Lord. You have to 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 is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 14: "Let not your heart be troubled." 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? He knows the present circumstance can be troubling, but here’s how you cannot be troubled: set your mind on things above where Christ is. Paul does the same thing here in this passage in Philippians, chapter 3. Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I am telling you this to safeguard your faith.

Then, in verse 2, 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, talking about three different things that actually point to one and the same thing. He starts out by saying, "Beware of dogs."

Now, he is not reading some sign on a fence somewhere. 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 he is referring to those little creatures that run around and chase you, and they might bite you. That is not what he is talking about.

So, what is the metaphor about? I think some insight is given to us by Jesus' teaching in what is called the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew, chapter 5. You can turn there if you'd like; you don’t need to. I am just going to reference it, and you can look at it later. In Matthew, chapter 7, Jesus, speaking to His disciples, says this in verse 6: "Do not give what is holy to..."

Dogs nor cast pearls before swine or pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn and tear you into pieces. 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, as some might say, ravenous dogs. Do not cast what is holy before these dogs. Beware of false prophets who are ravenous dogs or wolves. This is not just the teaching of Jesus, but also the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

Turn in your Bibles from Philippians to the left to the book of Acts. In Acts chapter 20, the Apostle Paul has stopped for just a brief time to visit some friends of his in a church that he had planted in a city called Ephesus. He has a brief moment to spend with the leaders, the elders of the church at Ephesus, and he gives them some final words. He says in Acts chapter 20, verse 29, "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.

He continues, "I know that after I leave, savage wolves are going to come in among you, not sparing the flock." What are these savage wolves? Verse 30 explains, "Also from among yourselves, men will arise, speaking perverse things, false teachers to draw away disciples after themselves." Therefore, watch. The exact same Greek word translated as "beware" in Philippians chapter 3 is used here.

Paul warns in Acts chapter 20, verse 31, "Therefore beware, watch, be on guard, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. I warned you that these 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, "Beware of joy killers." The first one is to beware of dogs. Second, he says, "Beware of evil workers."

False teachers were seeking to come into the church. Paul says that they are evil workers engaged in the work of destroying the righteous works of the saints through false teaching. Typically, they seduce or draw to themselves those who are not well-grounded and are immature in their understanding of the Scriptures. This is why Paul, in another letter he wrote at the same time, which we studied earlier this year, in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 14, states that the work of the servants, the ministers in the church—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, as mentioned in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11—is to equip the saints and build up the body of Christ.

He emphasizes that we should no longer be like children, 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 they are not tossed around by these false teachers, whom he refers to as dogs, working evil within the church. Therefore, Paul warns to beware of dogs and beware of evil workers.

Thirdly, he says 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 points to the identity of this group. Paul is identifying who these evil working dogs are with a sharp, pointed, and actually sarcastic term. He is sarcastically referring to Jewish false teachers coming into the church, whom he calls the mutilation because they come from what is known as the circumcision.

What does this mean? When God first called the man who became the father of the children of Israel, Abraham, and established a covenant with him thousands of years ago, it is recorded in Genesis chapter 17. The sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants was circumcision. While I realize it is not exactly a sign that you wear on the outside or something you share with others, that was the sign of the covenant.

The relationship between Abraham and God is significant, and if we fast-forward thousands of years through history to the time when Paul was writing, we see the context of the people of Paul's day. They came from the Jewish religion, and remember, Paul was also from the Jewish tradition. They boasted in their position, claiming righteousness as descendants of Abraham, which they demonstrated through their circumcision.

One of the early problems that the church faced as the gospel began to reach non-Jewish people, or Gentiles, was the emergence of false teaching. There were individuals who followed the ministry of Paul, and when he 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 they insisted on was circumcision, arguing that one was not really saved or right with God until this requirement was met. It is easy to see how this could cause significant issues.

Paul actually had to address this problem in a letter known as the Letter to the Galatians. He discussed how this group of people came in and tried to undermine the church. Paul warned the believers to be on guard against these individuals, referring to them as "evil workers" and "mutilators." Some might say it seems rather disrespectful for Paul to use the term "mutilation," but we must remember that Paul himself was Jewish. These individuals boasted in their position, believing themselves to be more righteous than other Christians because of a religious act performed on them before they could even make a decision for Christ. They felt that this made them more righteous and gave them a better standing.

Thus, Paul’s use of the term "mutilation" was sharp and pointed, and it served a purpose. These individuals were joy killers. So, what is a joy killer? I would summarize it like this: anyone or anything that brings you under the burden of a religious righteousness. This includes the idea that you are not righteous until you are baptized in a specific church or until you meet certain religious criteria.

Partake of communion in this way; you're not righteous 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 create superiority based on religious practices 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 to do it.

You don't even realize that you have this mindset until you visit somebody else's church and see them doing it the "wrong" way. When the leadership at this church—myself, the other pastors, and the elders—change something, we often receive a whole bunch of comment cards. These are prayer cards, but they function as comment cards with no names on them. They say, "Pastor, that's not the way we do it." I often get those cards, and most of the time, I just toss them in the trash. Sometimes, I take a moment to look at them.

We are traditionally non-traditional, yet we fall into this mindset of establishing superiority. This is how it's done; this is the right, righteous way to do it. If you don't do it this way, you're unrighteous, you're not right, you're wrong. It's so easy for us to fall into this trap.

Paul warns us to beware of this. It's very interesting that the church at Philippi was almost entirely a Gentile church. If you read in Acts chapter 16, you can learn about the history of the starting of the Philippian church. It was established with all Gentiles; there were no Jews living in the city of Philippi at that time, and there was no synagogue. These are the ones that Paul is addressing, 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 where their position with God is based on some sort of external membership or process.

Why should we beware of this? Well, look at verse 3.

In Philippians 3:3, Paul addresses Christians, whether Gentile or Jew, and states that we Christians are the circumcision. It is interesting to note that he is speaking to predominantly Gentile Christians when he says, "we are the circumcision." We are among those who are God's people. Why? For three important reasons: we worship God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. These three points are essential for your joy in Christ.

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

What does it mean to worship God in spirit? In the Gospel of John, specifically in John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well. She says to Jesus, "Listen, you Jews worship God in Jerusalem at the temple, while we Samaritans worship God here on this mountain, Mount Gerizim, in Samaria. Who's right? Who's doing it the right way?" This is a good question, one that the church has been asking for ages. Is it the Baptists, the Catholics, or the Presbyterians? We all want to be right.

Jesus responds by saying that it is not about where worship takes place. He declares that the day is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship God in spirit and truth, and the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth. Paul picks up on this idea and states that we, who are part of the body of Christ, worship God in spirit.

The word translated as "worship" here speaks of service. It is not just about singing songs; it involves actual service and devotional service in spirit to the Lord. This worship does not have to take place at a specific temple or in a prescribed way. It is about devotion to the Lord in spirit, which Paul emphasizes. We are devoted to God wholly in our spirit. What does this look like? I think it resembles what Paul describes in his letters.

Romans chapter 12 begins with a powerful exhortation to the church. Paul writes, "I beg you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, that you would present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord." This call encourages us to devote ourselves completely to Him.

In this context, Paul reminds us that we are the circumcision who worship God in spirit. He emphasizes that we rejoice in Christ Jesus. Just a few verses earlier, he instructed us to rejoice in the Lord. We are those who find our joy and rejoicing not in our religious efforts or rituals, but in the finished work of Jesus. Our joy and rejoicing stem from our right standing before God, based on what He did on the cross, not on what we have done for Him.

This leads us to point number three on your outline: 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. As members of the body of Christ, we are the circumcision who worship God in spirit, and we rejoice in Christ Jesus.

Furthermore, we have no confidence in the flesh. Those who are truly right before God, who experience a growing and lasting joy in Him, have absolutely zero confidence in the flesh. It is not that they have less confidence; they have none at all. They do not trust or boast in themselves, believing that they have done anything to make themselves right before a holy God. In fact, all the things they thought were right are, as the prophet Isaiah said 2,800 years ago, like filthy rags before Him.

Those who are truly right before God understand this reality: I am not right in my standing before God based on anything I have done in my flesh. Therefore, we have no confidence in the flesh. It is Jesus plus nothing. Unfortunately, 2,000 years ago, and even today, there are people who come into the church saying, "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, and you also need to partake of the Eucharist or communion in this fashion. Otherwise, you're not really right. I know you have that Jesus thing, and that's good; keep that. But you also need this. Paul here says 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, but we're really right."

I've met Christians who, without realizing it, say things like, "You go to what church? Oh, yeah, we've heard about you. You know, you guys have good Bible studies, but..." It's very belittling. The reality is that we are those who have no confidence in the flesh.

Notice what Paul says in verse 4: "Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if I wanted to boast in my flesh, I could." In fact, if I wanted to boast of my flesh, I could boast more than anybody else. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. You want to have a contest of flesh? Let's have a contest of flesh.

He gives his credentials: circumcised the eighth day. That's an interesting thing to boast about, but if you're Jewish, in those days, it was your boast. He was circumcised the right way, on the right day, of the stock of Israel, from the right family—a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He says this in that passage: from the tribe of Benjamin, an unspoiled line concerning the law, a Pharisee 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 been watching the ad series on NBC? Last week was great, although I don't think that Paul had blue eyes and spoke with a British accent. It was good, and they have the scene where Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus on the road to Damascus. It's great, and there everything comes crashing down. He was zealous; he was trying to destroy the Christians. According to the law, he says, "I'm blameless, unimpeachable." If you were to examine the life of Saul of Tarsus, you would find nothing out of order with the law.

Religion can be seductive. It can be very attractive to us, which is why ninety-eight percent of the world is religious. Think about that: ninety-eight percent of the 7.3 billion people who populate this world today are religious. They might be Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, or even classify themselves as pagan. We are back to where we were two thousand years ago. Whatever it may be, ninety-eight percent 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 said, "I got it going on." If anyone else thinks they can do better, he would challenge them. In Philippians 3:7, he writes, "What things were gain to me, those things that everybody counted as valuable among my peers, those things that were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ."

Indeed, Paul counted all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, his Lord, for whom he suffered the loss of all things. He counted them as rubbish that he might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having his own righteousness, which he boasted in for more than thirty years of his life. He boasted that he was righteous according to the law, but he realized he needed a different kind of righteousness.

He sought not the righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. He desired to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means he may attain to the resurrection of the dead.

Paul came to this realization on the road to Damascus, as depicted in the ad series. There was the risen Christ, and everything he esteemed and valued became meaningless. Suddenly, all the things he strove for, tried to get, and maintained were nothing in light of Him.

Now, don't misunderstand prayer, service, giving, and devotion, and all these sorts of things.

Religious disciplines are not necessarily bad things, but they do not 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 devotion to God for what He has done for them. Paul says, "I count all these things as loss."

I was in a conversation with a young man, and 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. 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.

Point number five on your outline is that 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 must lose your religion. For many years, evangelical Christians have said, "I don't have 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, and I have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, not because of what I've done, but in spite of what I've done.

At this point, I'm going to ask the worship team to come back up because we are going to partake of communion today. We will partake of the bread that reminds us of Jesus's body that was broken for us, and we will partake of the cup that reminds us of His blood that was shed for us. In doing this, I think it's so important for us to be reminded that partaking of the bread and the cup does not make us right with God. We are right with God because of what Jesus did in giving His body and His blood. Therefore, we take that to remember what He did. Amen.

So, Father, would You direct our time now as we partake?

We worship You. Direct our minds and our hearts toward You as we remember Your body and Your blood in Jesus.