Open your Bibles with me, if you will, to Philippians chapter 3. We continue this brief series in the book of Philippians, a thank you letter from Paul to the saints that is the church, the Christians in the church at Philippi. It's a book that's full of encouragement and it's a call to rejoice. Just by way of a brief review, in chapter one, we looked at the call to rejoice with growing confidence in the sure spread of the gospel. And then in the evening that week, we looked at the call to live as citizens worthy of the gospel. Last week in chapter two, the call, having been saved, rejoice to serve. And then in the evening, fill up your pastor's joy, although, sorry, Joe, Joe entered it in the live stream as fill up your pastor's Joe. Maybe if you give me coffee, I'll be happy. I think that was what he was communicating. But fill up your pastor's joy. And this morning, rejoice in the righteousness from God through faith in Christ from Philippians chapter three. There are two ways to respond to God. You can seek God. Or you can reject God. And these two ways we see over and over in the scripture. Different phrases, different ways it's communicated. They're the sheep and the goats. There are the lost and the saved. There are the righteous and the wicked. There are the repentant and the unrepentant. Which of these two ways are you? But there are also two ways to seek God. And Philippians 3 addresses those two ways. You can seek God through a righteousness of self-effort or you can seek God through a righteousness by faith. And if you are seeking God, which of these two ways are you? Philippians 3 calls you to rejoice in the righteousness from God through faith in Christ. And so here as I read God's word and let us consider it together. Philippians chapter 3. Finally, my brothers rejoice in the Lord. To write the same thing to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh, for we are the real circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For His sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, being like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I've already obtained this, or I'm already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their God is their belly, and they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Having heard from God and his word, please join me in your hearts as we seek him in prayer. Our father in heaven, you are indeed high and lifted up, and yet you have revealed to us who you are and how we are to live. And we pray that you would now illuminate our hearts by your Holy Spirit, that we would hear the voice of our Savior speaking through the living word of God. Teach us, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Rejoice in the righteousness from God through faith in Christ. And how is it that Paul calls us to do that, focusing on two particular aspects of that, one a negative and the other a positive? Refuse the refuse. Refuse the refuse. We don't use refuse a lot but it's a nice alliteration there with those synonyms that have different meanings. I don't want to have anything to do with this garbage. That's what refuse is and it actually sounds too tame to be addressing those who would seek God through a righteousness of self-effort. And so Paul gives us a threefold warning. Look out, look out, look out, look out for legalism. Really you can summarize all of them in that. Will you rejoice in the Lord or will you rejoice in the flesh? Paul begins this chapter with a call to rejoice and then he has shouts of judgment and he ends with tears. A threefold warning, mocking those who would put confidence in the flesh, those Judaizers who would say, well, it's okay to have Christ, but you need to follow the letter of the Jewish law as well. Just as Paul said he had done, blameless, he said, in keeping the law. And this threefold mocking, they're unclean dogs. They're not doing the work of the law, but they're doing evil. They're not the circumcision, they're the mutilation of the flesh. That's not very nice, is it? Well, Paul's goal wasn't niceness. Paul's goal was truth. Now, I want to mention a caution with that. It seems in our day that some have the goal of harshness, and that wasn't Paul's goal. And there are specific instructions in the word of God about how you are permitted to bring an accusation against leaders of Christ's church. And there are clear instruction that the declaration of apostasy is the work of the church not of individuals. So don't take Paul's harsh words, his judgmental words and say well I'm going to have the goal of being harsh, I'm going to speak whatever I think about whomever I think without any regard for the instruction of God. But niceness is not the goal. Paul criticized these Judaizers. He said, we are the real circumcision. We are the heart circumcision and that's reflected in a spirit led worship. It's reflected in glory given to Christ and no glory, no confidence in my flesh. Legalism has various ways that we can look at it, that we can define it in its simplest form. It's salvation by Jesus plus works. I can be saved by trusting in Jesus plus doing certain things. I found this quote on Catholicism.org. Man has the ability and obligation to cooperate with God's grace in securing his own salvation. That is legalism. But it's not merely Catholics and it's not merely Judaizers, there are many who have sort of a generic works righteousness. I'm sure that you've had these conversations as I have with unbelievers that I meet and I ask them at times, do you think that you will go to heaven? Why do you think you will go to heaven? And over and over and over I get an answer that is more or less like, I've done a good job. I believe that God exists and I've lived a good life and therefore I deserve to go to heaven. That is legalism and look out for it. But don't just look out for it in them, look out for it in you and in me. Because legalism can also be God accepts me because of this or that. And so as Reformed Presbyterians, we might think God accepts us because we sing psalms. God accepts us because we worship in the right and precise way. We might even think God accepts me because I've walked in obedience and faithfulness. Look out for legalism. If you are in legalism, if you are letting legalism creep into your life and your heart, there's no room for rejoicing. There's only room for boasting. Look out for legalism. And secondly, under this Refuse the Refuge poll, if you will, tells us to pitch your pedigree, pitch your pedigree, what you used to put confidence in. Paul gives us his pedigree. He said, if anyone has confidence in the flesh, has room for confidence in the flesh, I have more than anyone else. A strong claim. He was an eight-dayer. He was the best of the best both in his Jewish heritage and his Pharisaic practice. Paul's pedigree was with regard to seeking God. And you, too, might be tempted to think of your pedigree as you have sought to seek God, your effort, your good life. You're going to church week after week. And I just want to call you children who've grown up in the church. I know this from the experience of one of our own children. This child, I'll not even identify them by sex, had this sense that I just need to be a good child. As long as I'm obedient to my parents, I'll be okay. And in the kindness and love of God. She came to understand that being a good child wasn't enough. And so I urge you, children, don't think for a minute that just because you've grown up in the church, just because you obey your moms and dads, just because you obey your Sunday school teachers, just because you don't use bad words like some other kids do that maybe are in your neighborhood or other settings that you see them, don't think for a minute that that is sufficient. Your pedigree is not sufficient. But your pedigree perhaps might be not seeking God. I don't need God. I can get by on my own very well. Thank you. I will pursue science and not religion. I will pursue success and not submission. And your pedigree as well is empty and will lead you to eternal destruction. The point is not that your pedigree is completely empty but that it's eternally worthless. There may be valuable things in your life, but they will not get you to heaven. Whatever you used to put confidence in, turn away from that if you think that that that you've done or inherited or acted out will be sufficient. If you have confidence in the flesh, that will leave you eternally outside of the grace of God in Christ. What is it that you're even now, even as Christians, and I speak to you who are members of Christ's church, what is it that you're tempted to put confidence in? What are the things that you look at and think these are worthwhile things? The call is, Nothing but Christ. Nothing but Christ. I will not put confidence in anything but Christ. The things that I used to think were gain, I will now count as loss. It sounds a little bit, but verse 8, Paul says, because of him, I have suffered the loss of all things. And that almost sounds like a complaint, but Paul's not complaining. He's saying because of Christ, I've lost these things because they're not worth holding on to. And instead, I'm seeking to gain Christ. Everything else is loss. But we don't like to lose what we value. Paul speaks of suffering the loss of these things, and you certainly have experienced those things. Some of you know a little bit of my father's testimony. When I was eight, he divorced my mother and pursued his own pleasure for about 10 years. And God in his kindness brought him back, restored him to a deep love for Christ and a following of Christ. When he was restored to Christ, his Sunday afternoons changed. He gave up football for Christ. My dad loved football, but he loved Christ more. And he found that it was not really lost to give that up for Christ. And maybe in a similar way, there are things that you've given up for Christ. Maybe it's a reputation. Maybe it's actual physical things that you've had to say, Jesus, I don't want these in my life. I'm gonna give them things that were valuable, but you found it worth giving up because of the eternal value of knowing Christ. From just a human relationship perspective, those of you who are married or are pursuing marriage, there are a lot of things that we gave up or are giving up for the sake of our husband or our wife. And probably there are some things we still need to give up for the sake of them. And then when God gives you children, there are things that you give up for the sake of your children. So we understand that in a relationship context. And what greater relationship can we have? than our relationship with Jesus, our Savior, King. Paul gave up his place in the Jewish religious leadership hierarchy, and he gave it up for Christ. It's lost because it's rubbish, it's refuge, it's trash, and if you don't throw it out, you have no room for rejoicing. So refuse the refuse and get the goal. Get the goal. Will you rejoice in the flesh or will you rejoice in the Lord? And how is it that we're exhorted to get the goal? Verses 8 through 11, realize his righteousness. Anything else is dung. Dung in order that I may gain Christ, that I may know Jesus Christ, who is the Lord to whom every knee will bow, but he is my Lord. Notice the personal words that Paul expresses, I will give it up for Jesus Christ, my Lord. Is there anything you won't give up for Jesus Christ, your Lord? That you would trade so that you might gain Christ, that you would give away so that you might be found in Christ. that you would not trust anything of yourself, but would trust his righteousness and be found in his righteousness and his righteousness be found in you. Real righteousness, perfect righteousness, not righteousness that comes through your effort in law keeping, but righteousness that comes through Christ's perfect law keeping. If we're honest with ourselves, I think we can all identify ways and times in which we have wanted to trust in our own righteousness. You know, I was in a Christian school, and I was a pretty good kid in a Christian school, and it took a trip to the principal's office over an honest misunderstanding that flowed out of a year-long confrontation with a teacher that helped me realize I can't just trust being a good kid in a Christian school. I want to be found in Christ's righteousness, a perfect righteousness. How many of you so far today haven't needed the righteousness of Christ? If you raise your hand or if you nod your head, you're lying. Because you need it from the moment you wake up. You might wake up and say, Lord, it's been a pretty good day so far. I haven't had bad thoughts. I haven't cursed anyone in my heart, but I'm gonna get out of bed now. And I need your help. I need your righteousness to be my righteousness. Not a righteousness of my own, but a righteousness from God through faith in Christ. When Joseph Freedley, pastor of Black Forest, was at seminary, he used an illustration of his college days, and he had spent all his summer earnings on his fall tuition, bought all the books that he needed, he was all set, but there was no money left in his account. And the first day of class, one of his professors said, I'm sorry, I forgot to put this in the book list, but there's one more book that you have to have for this class. So Joseph said, I did what every good college student does, I called dad. And Dad put money in my account and I bought that book with the money in my account But the money in my account hadn't been my money It was an alien money and Paul talks about an alien righteousness Something that's put into your account out of Christ's account and he takes upon himself your sin How can it be that God the Son would die for me and grant me his righteousness. And the heart of rejoicing in righteousness from God through faith in Christ is to know Christ. to pursue Christ, to love Christ. And maybe you feel like, I don't really know what it means to love Christ. Well, let me use a human example that's insufficient, but perhaps will give us an idea. Think about your dating life if you're married. Those times when you were pursuing a girl or a guy, you were pursuing the one to whom you're now married. And you were willing to put so much effort into getting to know them. And in putting in that effort and getting to know them, you came to love them more, you came to know them better. It's important when you're dating or just married, but it's important when you've been married 39 years to keep working at knowing and loving the one to whom you have given your life. And in a similar way, although in a far superior way, get to know Christ, pursue Christ, make the effort to get to know him. To know the power of His resurrection in which He was resurrected and in which you have been resurrected from the dead and in which you will be resurrected to glory one day. The fellowship of His suffering, the suffering of loss, the suffering for the name of Christ. It's in knowing Christ that you can rejoice in His righteousness. And having received Christ, pursue Christ, pursue the prize. Some of you will remember back in February I preached on that particular passage in running the race, running to receive the prize. Paul starts out saying, I'm not perfect, and he's not making an excuse. He's making a statement of reality, and all of us can make that statement with him. I'm not perfect, but I am straining for perfection. I am working hard at pursuing the prize. The prize is God's upward call, a call to heaven. You and I are going to be in the presence of our Father in heaven, are going to be in the presence of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, are going to be in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit. And we are pursuing that prize. We are straining to live for Christ today in his righteousness so that one day we can live in his presence. And every decision that you face, every temptation that comes along your way, there's a call of the upward call of God in Christ for you to consider in the face of that temptation. In the face of those decisions, but the reality is life comes at speed. I've heard from some of you that this is a busy time in your life, in your work. It's always a busy time. Don't wait until it's not a busy time because it won't happen, although some times are busier than others. And life comes at us at speed and decisions come at us at speed and temptations come at us at speed. And you can't afford, when it's coming at you at speed, to just then begin thinking about how that you'll respond. Some of my, well I think all three of my sons played various levels of basketball, not the highest level, but maybe not the lowest backyard school, backyard basketball level either. One of my sons is a very analytical thinker, and he was a very analytical basketball player. When the coach said, do things this way, he would do things this way. But when he got the ball, you could see the analysis taking place. He would catch the ball. He would fake this way. And then he would turn back and bounce pass this way. And if either of those wasn't open as an opportunity, he didn't have the fluidity of a really good basketball player to sort of improvise. He was very mechanical. He was very almost robotic in the way he played basketball. Maybe if given enough time, maybe if given enough good practice, it would have become natural for him. And the goal for us as Christians is for Christianity to become natural. for responding, pursuing the prize of the upper call of Jesus Christ naturally, to not have to think robotically, okay, here's a temptation, what does the Bible say, what do I have to do? But to respond because we're coming to know Christ so well. You've heard the quote probably from Charles Spurgeon about John Bunyan. He said, why, this man is a living Bible. prick him anywhere and his blood is bibling. The very essence of the Bible flows from him. He can't speak without quoting a text for his very soul is full of the word of God. And I commend that kind of thinking, that kind of living to you as you pursue the prize. So spend time with Christ. Spend time in His word. Rejoice in His righteousness that is yours by faith. And spend time with His people as you follow the faithful. As you follow the faithful. Not only are you called to pursue the prize, but you're called to follow the faithful. Another way that you can get better at sport is by watching someone who's good at it. watching a level and paying close attention to what they do. What do they do when the bounce pass that they were thinking they would do is not open? How do they change? How do they improvise? And so one of the best ways that you and I have to be better as Christians is to watch others who are good at Christianity. Paul says, imitate me. Keep your eyes on those who walk like we do, like Paul. Like Timothy, like Epaphroditus, surround yourself with the godly, surround yourself with each other, because each of you have a measure of godliness that is worth imitating and each of you have a measure of ungodliness that is worth rejecting. And so watch each other and learn how each other responds to the temptations of life as they come at speed. Surround yourself with the godly. Watch and learn. Even the world gets this. I like to read just sometimes to relax. Sometimes I'll quote from a book and you don't have to think, oh, I wonder what was all about that book. It was a book that Ed was relaxing in. But I was struck with this quote from a book that I was relaxing in. 12-year-old Lori. It said about her, her mom and dad were the two people in the world she most trusted and admired. She was always watching them when they didn't realize it. Not watching them from a hiding place or anything creepy like that, just studying them to figure out who they were. By watching them, she'd learned who she wanted to be as a person, though she wasn't that person yet. There was a long road ahead. I appreciated that. a child, and you children, if you want to learn how to live the Christian life, if you want to learn how to pursue the prize of the upward call of God and Jesus Christ, watch your parents. They're not perfect. I think you know that by now. Maybe the youngest among us don't yet know that of their parents, but the rest do. but they're worth watching. Watch them obey Christ. Watch them make decisions. And parents, help your children see how you make decisions. How is it that you walk with Christ in the midst of a busy life coming at you at speed? Follow the faithful. And I just want to commend the deacons of this congregation as faithful servants of Christ and his church. Watch them as they care for our everyday needs and learn from them. See, the alternative to watching and following the faithful is to watch those who have never claimed Christ or those who once claimed Christ but now reject Him. They are enemies of the cross. And Paul warns with tears, don't imitate them. They're heading for hell. They're pursuing pleasure. They're delighting in what ought not to be done. Think of his description in Romans 1 of the unbeliever who pursued dishonorable passions, debased minds and practice, and they approve those who do such things. People who are living for the here and now with no thought for tomorrow, let alone for eternity. I mentioned books. If I mention a movie, I'm not commending the movie, but some of you perhaps have seen the movie Groundhog Day. And he could do whatever he wanted because no matter what happened, he was going to wake up. And it was yesterday morning or this morning when he woke up. And so he did all kinds of wicked things. He did all kinds of foolish things. He didn't have to live with a thought for tomorrow because in his existence, in this silly movie, tomorrow was never going to come. Now, finally, she loved him and then tomorrow came. But we ought not live that way. We ought not live with no thought to tomorrow. We ought not live with no thought to eternity. And these people live that way. And so don't imitate them. Don't imitate those whose God is their appetite. They're earthly. And if you follow the wicked, you'll become like them over and over. We see that in the pattern of God's people. They did not cleanse the land of the enemies of God, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their ways. Instead. Follow the faithful, rejoicing in the righteousness of God that is theirs through faith in Christ and that is increasingly evident in their lives. And yet, even as you follow the faithful, you have someone far greater in mind. Seek your savior. Seek your savior. We are not earthly. We are heavenly. We are citizens of heaven. We have, as it were, a spiritual passport. When we get to heaven, we don't have to prove our own qualifications. We merely point to Christ. I'm here because he has saved me. We must live as citizens of heaven. Paul introduces that thought at the end of chapter one, and we looked at it a couple of weeks ago, and he returns to that thought here. You are heavenly. You are citizens of heaven. Don't live like earthly people do. We have a king who is also our savior and we are in relationship with our king and our savior. We wait for him eagerly and sometimes it's in the suffering that the eagerness for our savior increases. Sometimes it's when we face the end that we understand that our days are limited. Sometimes it's in those times, and you've certainly observed it as I have. And Christians, as they're approaching death, they're more and more eager for their Savior. They may have people and circumstances in this life that they love, but they'll give it all up for Christ. And it's that joy, it's that longing for Christ that will get us through difficulties in life, that will get us through times that perhaps we come to the end and we face disease or old age and we prepare to pass into glory. We wait for Him eagerly. One day. One day you'll be perfect. body and soul, you will be perfect. And we long for that day. For those of you who can think of a time when you weren't following Christ, and I was talking with some people about that this week, how sometimes our covenant children never remember that time when they weren't following Christ. And that's a great blessing, so long as you're trusting Christ and not your position in your Christian family. But for some of us, we can remember when we weren't following Christ. And then Christ saved you. How's your life different now? And even if you can't remember when you didn't follow Christ, think about 10 years ago or 20 years ago or one year ago, how much God has continued in you even now, the work that he began. What are some of the sins that you have to say, God, don't remember the sins of my youth. But as you look at your life now, They're not so much practiced as they were. One day all of those will be completed and perfected in Christ. What are some of the ways that you long for that perfection? Even as you long for the completed work of Christ, rejoice in the work that has already been done. Refuse the refuse. Get the goal and rejoice in the righteousness from God through faith in Christ. Pray with me that it would be so in you and in me. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, what wonder, what glory, What amazing work you have done and are doing and will do. Lord, cause each one of us to rejoice in the righteousness from God through faith in Christ. May no one here, none of our children, none of us adults, be trusting in our own righteousness. May none here turn away from following after God and not even care about their own righteousness because they've become earthly and their God is their appetites. May it not be, Lord, might you preserve us one and all. And Lord, for any who are suffering, remind us of the glory to come. For any who are struggling with sin, may they struggle diligently. Sometimes we say I'm struggling with sin, which just means I'm giving into it. May it not be. May more and more we strive for the upward call of God in Jesus Christ. Make Christianity, make responding in a biblical way more natural for us as you make us more into the image of your Son, our beloved Savior and King, even the Lord Jesus in whom we pray. Amen.