Today we are continuing in our series from Philippians and we are looking at chapter three. The title of my message is “The priceless value of knowing Christ”. So far, we have seen…

1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.
5. Have the attitude of Christ – be unified, be interested in others, be humble.
6. Shine brightly for Christ – continue to shine whether Paul is with them or not.
7. Paul commended Timothy – he cared for the Philippians, he cared for Christ’s work, he helped Paul greatly.
8. Paul commended Epaphroditus – a true brother, a co-worker, a fellow soldier, and a messenger in his need.

So already we have seen a lot. We have also got a big glimpse of Paul’s heart and his love for the church at Philippi. Today we will see three more main points.

Bible Reading – Philippians 3:1-21

Message Points

Today I want to share three main points.

1. The priceless value of knowing Christ

My first point today is the “Priceless value of knowing Christ”. It is found in verses 3:1-11.

In the first part of chapter three Paul shares the idea that knowing Christ is everything. This is something he held dear and he taught to others. In verse 1 he says, “I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith”.

Why would he say he wants to safeguard their faith? In verses 2-4 Paul then talks about people wanting to get them to live under the old ways. Things like circumcision and following the Law in their own strength to make them right with God.

It seems in our reading of the New Testament that often when Paul went and planted churches, people would follow his path and try to pervert the truth. Often this meant turning people back to old Jewish customs and ways of living. Some Jewish converts could not just let go of the past. Some deep down wanted to work for their salvation. Some wanted to hold on to power.

Paul knew and understood this way of living. In verses 4-6 he lists his long list of achievements as a Jew and a Pharisee. Paul described himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews. This means both his mother and father all the way back was Jewish. There were no other nations mixed in his heritage. He also says he lived out the Law without fault, he persecuted the early church with a passion and he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. The Tribe of Benjamin was the only tribe that stayed faithful to God when the Northern and Southern Kingdoms were divided. This tribe also gave the nation its first king, whom Paul/Saul was named after. So, in his own eyes he really thought he was serving God as good anyone could possibly do.

The Pharisees

The Pharisees were a strict religious sect that numbered about 6000 in total at the time of Christ.  They were lay people who were middle class merchants that devoted themselves to the observance of the Law of Moses (first five books of Old Testament as we know it) and they also paid special attention to laws that were interpreted by the Rabbi’s to protect and apply the law to everyday life. There were laws 613 in total.

In many ways the Pharisees saw themselves as religious purists who were enthusiastically committed to preserving and obeying the law and they were keen to encourage others to do so. To ensure they kept ritually pure the Pharisees had a number of strict rules in regard to washing, eating, tithing, the Sabbath, divorce, oaths and clothing.

Why did the Pharisees think keeping the law was so important? For the Pharisee their religion was not just a profession it was more of a way of life. The strived hard to follow the law and keep ritually pure to be “right” with God. The Pharisees wanted Israel to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. They also believe that once Israel had remained pure for a time then the Messiah would come.

So back to Paul. In light of what a Pharisees is and Paul’s list of “achievements”, if anyone had the right to be proud of his efforts it would be Paul. But as we see in verses 7-8 he had a change of heart and life…

“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”.

Paul realised that knowing Christ and being known by Christ was all that was needed to find salvation. As he says in verse 9, “I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith”.

All the things that Paul thought very priceless and valuable, became like garbage to him. His family line of being a Hebrew of Hebrews – garbage. His belonging to the Tribe of Benjamin – garbage. His standing as a Pharisee – garbage. He discarded them all.

For us as Christians today there is a priceless value in knowing Christ too. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t work for our salvation. It is all accomplished in what Jesus did for us on the cross. He made a way, where there was no other way.

Not only is our salvation priceless, but our lives now are priceless too. We live this life now knowing that we are valuable to God and we are a key part of His continued mission in this world. We have a job to do. We have a part to play. We serve God with our gifts, we love and encourage one another, we reach people with the love and saving message of Christ. We make disciples.

So today let us hold firmly to Christ and put all our faith and hope in Him. He alone makes us righteous and right with the Father. Christ is all we need and there is priceless value in knowing Him.

2. Pressing towards the goal

Me second point comes from verses 12-21 and is “Pressing toward the goal”.

In verses 12-14 Paul says, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us”.

As I was reflecting on this I read the notes in the Life Application Study Bible for verses 12-14. It is interesting and explains this section well…

“3:12-14 Paul said that his goal was to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him. This goal took all of Paul’s energies. This is a helpful example for us. We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal—knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. What is holding you back?”

I think the first line says it all – to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him”.

This idea is much deeper than coming to Christ for our salvation and knowing we will go to heaven when we die. It is all about knowing Christ, growing to be like Christ and being disciplined like an athlete to be all you can be for Christ.

In the same way, Paul tells us to be disciplined like an athlete. We need to put time and energy into our relationship with God and our growth in our faith. Spending time alone with God in prayer, reading our Bibles and fellowship are things that Pastors, Elders and guest speakers talk about often. This is because they work. They help us to press on towards the goal of knowing Christ and becoming like Him.

3. We ARE citizens of heaven

This is the second time in this short book Paul has talked about being citizens of heaven. In Philippians 1:27 he said…

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News”.

In verse 20 of today’s text her says, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour.”

In chapter one verse 27 he calls us to live a life worthy of being a citizen of heaven. In this verse he reiterates that we are citizens of heaven.

Again, as I was researching I found the notes in the NLT LASB had some good thoughts. It said this on verse 20…

“Citizens of a Roman colony were expected to promote the interests of Rome and maintain the dignity of the city. In the same way, citizens of heaven ought to promote heaven’s interests on earth and lead lives worthy of heavenly citizenship. Too many Christians have failed to transfer their citizenship to heaven. They still seek earthly pleasures and treasures instead of heavenly ones. Paul told the Philippians to remember that they are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. Have you transferred your citizenship? How are you promoting heaven’s interests?”

Not only should we live lives worthy of our new citizenship, but we need to remember we ARE citizens of heaven. As I have said before, our passports are not stamped with just an entry visa, our passports are brand new heavenly ones issued from the throne room of God.

Closing summary

So, in summary today I just want to summarize Paul’s heart from chapter three.

1. The priceless value in knowing Christ – knowing Christ is far more important and valuable than anything else in this world.
2. Pressing on towards the goal – we need to press in to Christ and our relationship with Him with the discipline and determination of an athlete.
3. We ARE citizens of heaven – we need to live a life worthy of our new home and status.

Amen.

This week I want to start a new series of messages based on the Book of Philippians. Over the coming weeks I want to look at one chapter a week and work our way through.

The title of my message today is, “Living wholeheartedly for Christ”. It is inspired by the Apostle Paul’s attitude in chapter one.

Introduction to Philippians

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians was written to the first church that Paul established on European soil. Paul established the church on his second missionary journey in 49AD.
It was in the Roman province of Macedonia. It was written while the Apostle Paul was in prison. On Paul’s first visit to Philippi he was thrown in jail (Acts 16). On his second visit he was thrown in jail again.

The main reason for writing the letter was to thank the Philippian Christians for the gift which they had sent to help him in his time of need. He also uses this letter to reassure them, so that they may have courage and confidence in spite of all his troubles and their own as well.

Paul pleads with the church to have the humble attitude of Jesus, rather than to be controlled by selfish ambition and pride. He reminds them that their life in union with Christ is a gift of God’s grace which they have received through faith, not through obedience to the ceremonies of the Jewish Law.

Some of the other themes of this letter are joy, confidence, unity, and perseverance in the Christian faith and life. It also reveals the deep affection Paul had for the church at Philippi.

Bible Reading

Philippians 1:1-30 

Message Points

Today I want to share four main points as a part of my message. They pretty much follow the structure of chapter one.

1. Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer

The first point comes from verses 3-11. This section is titled, “Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer”. In this section, two main things jumped out at me.

a. Paul’s joy with the Philippians

Verses 3 says, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God”.

The Philippians give Paul special joy because they have been his partners in the Gospel. They have shared with him from the day they first heard about Christ until the day of writing.

Paul has a real love for the Philippians because they believed in the message of salvation and continued steadfastly in it. They took it so seriously that they partnered in his work – in prayer, encouragement and financially.

b. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians

In verse 9 Paul says, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding”.

Paul wanted them to continue to grow in their faith and be blessed by God. He prayed they would have full understanding of the things of God, be pure and blameless in their walk with the Lord and be filled with the fruit of salvation.

Paul really loved the Philippians. He was like a spiritual father to them as he planted the church at Philippi on his second missionary journey in 49AD. This is why he experienced so much joy, prayed for them and wanted the best for them.

Not only did he want them to keep growing, but he assured the Philippians that God would continue to work on them. In verse 6 he said, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Not only did Paul pray for their continued growth, he knew God wanted them to keep growing and would continue to work on them to see it happened.

2. Paul’s joy that Christ is preached

The second main section is Philippians 1:12-19. The title of this section in the NLT is “Paul’s joy that Christ is preached”.

Verses 12-14 read, “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear”.
Two things really jumped out at me from these verses.

a. Paul is pleased being in prison

The first is that Paul is glad to be in prison. He tells us that the whole palace guard knows he is there for the Gospel. Paul came in contact with people he would not normally be able to share Christ with. As we see from Acts 16 Paul got to share his faith with the jailer and his family. This is where the jailer asked, “What must we do to be saved?” Paul’s response was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, both you and your family”. Paul was saying that if a father in a household believed it would flow through to all the other family members.

b. Paul’s continued boldness encourages others

The second thing is from verse 14. Paul says that, “Most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear”.

Paul’s boldness despite being in prison gave others courage to continue to talk about Jesus. Acts 16 said they prayed and sang hymns while in chains! Most people in prison would be afraid, worried and downcast. Not Paul, he sang hymns and praised the Lord.

Paul’s boldness to preach the message of Christ landed him in prison. However, this did not stop him and everyone knew why he was there. We see the jailer family of the jailer came to Christ. And the other believers were greatly encouraged in their efforts.

Paul’s commitment to preaching the Gospel inspires me nearly 2000 years later.

3. Paul’s life for Christ

The next point comes from Philippians 1:20-26. It is titled, “Paul’s life for Christ”.

Verses 21-24 explains Paul’s heart. They give us a glimpse of his priorities.

“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So, I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live”.

For Paul, living was all about Christ. Since his conversion on the road to Damascus, he was all consumed with Christ. He desired earnestly to go and be with Christ, but knew staying here would mean he could continue His work in the world.

Paul knew he could help others come to know Christ, he could plant churches, and he could strengthen the churches he had planted. In short, his mission was to know Christ and make Him known.
Over the years I have known people like this. They have been completely sold out for God’s Kingdom. Their life was hidden in Christ and His will was all they wanted. Some are alive still serving, while some have gone to be with their Lord.

I am so inspired by these three verses and the sold-out Kingdom people I have met over the years. It is something that I aspire to myself. I hope and pray that I can wholeheartedly say, “To live is Christ, to die is gain”. How about you?

4. Live at citizens of heaven

The last section is Philippians 1:27-30. It is titled, “Live as citizens of heaven”.

Verse 27 says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News”.

As I have shared before, I like this idea of being a citizen of heaven. As Christians we live in this world, but citizenship is of another place – the Kingdom of Heaven. The moment we asked Jesus Christ into our lives our citizenship status changed.

Paul reminds us in today’s passage to conduct ourselves worthy of being a citizen of heaven. We need to live in a way that shows we no longer belong to this world. We are like an Ambassador who serves in a foreign country as a diplomat. They deal with their host country, build relational bridges and represent the interests of their country in that place. But in reality, their devotion and loyalty is to another place.

Not only does the Ambassador have to serve his country in that place, but they need to represent the country well. All they do reflects on their homeland. We are like this as Christians.
So today let us remember our spiritual passports are stamped as citizens of heaven. Let us remember the words of Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father”.

Closing summary

Today we have looked at the first chapter on Philippians 1. We saw four main things.

1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.

Amen