STUDYING THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS #9
Phil. 3:1-6
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. Paul said in Phil. 3:1, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the
Lord."
1. The key is in the term "in the Lord." This is our area or
realm of rejoicing; it is "in the Lord."
a. Neh. 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is our strength."
2. Definitely, for mankind there are many false areas of
rejoicing.
a. What we need to do is remove some of those false areas
of rejoicing and concentrate more on rejoicing in the
Lord.
I. WE ARE NOT TO REJOICE IN OUR EARTHLY PARENTAGE.
A. If anyone wanted to boast in his parentage, Paul could more so.
Verses 5a
1. The Jews put a great emphasis on the fact that they were
descendants of Abraham.
2. They were God's chosen people; thus, they thought there
was no way they could be lost. Matt. 3:7-9
3. Here are some quotes from Jewish Talmud which helps us to
see their dependance on their heritage:
a. "Abraham sits next to the gates of hell and doth not
permit any wicked Israelite to go down into it."
b. "God said to Abraham, 'If thy children were like bodies,
without sinews and bones, thy merit would avail for
them.'"
c. "A single Israelite is worth more before God than all the
people who have been or shall be."
d. "The world was made for their sake."
B. This problem of "rejoicing in earthly parents" still exists
today.
1. I heard of a young man who had just come from Florida
College and he had studied under a lot of big-name men.
2. It was obvious that he considered the church Bible classes
beneath him. While everyone else was preparing their Bible
lessons, he didn't prepare his, and for a question in Bible
class he would ceremoniously reach over and take some
body else's paper and read off the answer.
3. And when he was talking about someone else, "You know,
they weren't raised in the church."
4. We ought to be grateful if our parents are Christians, if
one is blessed in that fashion; but if we think we are
superior just because our parents are Christians, we have
the wrong area of rejoicing.
II. WE ARE NOT TO REJOICE IN OUR OWN RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION.
A. Paul said he was a "Hebrew of Hebrews." Phil. 3:5b
1. Paul was a Pharisee, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel who
was "a teacher of the law held in respect by all the
people." Acts 5:34; 22:3; 23:6; 26:4-5
B. It is possible to be converted to a church and not to Christ,
as is often the case with denominational people.
1. This is also very much possible in the church of Christ.
2. There are some who are "false brethren" who are enemies of
the cross of Christ. 2 Cor. 11:26; Gal. 2:4; Phil. 3:18-19
III. OUR REJOICING IS NOT IN OUR OWN ZEAL.
A. When Paul was under the Law, before he was converted, he was
a very zealous man. Gal. 1:13-14
1. In our text, he said, "Concerning zeal, persecuting the
chruch." Phil. 3:6a
B. Zeal is good, but zeal in and of itself is not our area of
rejoicing.
1. For example, consider the Jehovah's Witnesses and their
zeal.
2. Rom. 10:1-3
a. We need to be careful lest we be like those Jews.
IV. OUR REJOICING IS NOT IN OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
A. If you had met Paul before his vision on the road to Damascus
and asked, "Are you a righteous man?" he most certainly would
have answered, "Yes."
1. He said, "...Concerning the righteousness which is in the
law, blameless." Phil. 3:6b
B. To trust in one's own righteousness is a trap that one can
easily fall into.
1. We can have the idea that because we attend every service,
give liberally of our means, live good moral lives, and are
dedicated, we have it made.
2. At the same time, we think that for the person who doesn't
come much, doesn't give much, and doesn't live right, there
is no hope.
3. This is much like the Pharisee who boasted of his
righteousness. Luke 18:9-14
C. The Lord, of course, does require faithfulness and diligence on
our part.
1. But no matter how diligent we are, and how well we carry
out all of God's commandments, we are still dependent on
God's mercy, and do not rejoice in our own righteousness.
Luke 17:10
V. LET US CONSIDER A FEW MODERN AREAS OF REJOICING.
A. THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING.
1. This quote was given in a Sermon by Bill Hall. He did not
give it's source:"The search for tranquility is on, and is
on in a big way. In order to obtain peace of mind, Americans
are swallowing tons of tranquilizers. In addition to drugs,
there are tranquilizing books. These have become best
sellers overnight, single additions running into the
hundreds of thousands. Those who read them are urged to wind
themselves like clocks and begin the day by saying to
themselves, 'What a wonderful morning this is, and what an
exceptionally fine wife or husband I have, and what lovely
children I have, what a wholesome and delicious breakfast
awaits me, and what a congenial boss I have on the job.'"
2. The writer continues: "Such peacefulizers may do more harm
than good. They provoke the following objections: First,
whenever the soothing thought fails to conform with reality,
the ease of mind which results will fail to be of an
enduring character. Secondly, the most stubborn fact of all
is sin. No amount of metal push-ups, or positive thinking
can brush it aside. Thirdly, the only peace that is worthy
of the name is peace with God, and it cannot be
self-manufactured. Fourthly, those trusting in
tranquilizers, whether books or pills, could be proceeding
from the false assumption that spiritual unrest or
soul-struggle is an evil in itself. It is often far better
to face reality than to try to escape it. Evasion leads to a
spiritual pulpier. Confronting the facts about oneself is
the only course which leads to the peace of God which passes
understanding. Everything may not be great, and someone
trying to say that everything is great, and trying to
convince himself that everything is great, doesn't make it
great."
B. WE DO NOT REJOICE IN OUR OWN WORLDLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
1. When we rejoice in our own accomplishments, we are
magnifying self and not the Lord.
2. Quite frankly, most of us, as individuals, will not
accomplish much in this world.
a. A hundred years after we are dead, if the world is still
standing, I doubt if there will be a single soul who will
know we ever lived.
b. Most of us can't even name our great-grandparents.
3. If one is rejoicing in his own accomplishments, he doesn't
have much to rejoice in.
4. They were interviewing a man when one of the big
hurricanes was about to come onto shore, and talked about
man's inability to do anything to stop it. The man said,
"You know, the only great thing about us is our Egos."
a. He hit the nail on the head!
Concl.
A. Our rejoicing is NOT in:
1. Our earthly parentage.
2. Our own religious affiliation.
3. Our own zeal.
4. Our own righteousness.
5. The power of positive thinking.
6. Our own accomplishments.
B. Let us rejoice "in the Lord."
1. We would be a gigantic loser, if we adhered to the those
things and lost our relationship with the Lord.
2. Let us truly rejoice "in the Lord" because that's where
true happiness and true rewards are.