Weekly Sermons

The Gospel Changes What We Are Confident About

 

Philippians 3:1-6

 

“In a word, Wormwood, help him to become more religious, but for Hell’s sake, not more Christian!”  -W. Martin, Screwtape Writes Again

 

The Christian life is meant to be a life of _____________ relationship with the Living God; a life in which the power of the Holy Spirit helps us abide in Jesus and that overflows into bearing much fruit.

 

The basis of our confidence: _____________________!   V. 1a

 

-2 Timothy 1:12

 

Rejoicing in the Lord Actually ___________ Believers!   V. 1b

 

Three ways rejoicing in the Lord protects believers:

 

1.         Rejoicing in the Lord protects believers from the discouraging effects of a _______________ spirit.  2:14

 

2.         Rejoicing in the Lord protects believers from the deadening influence of ____________________!                   V. 2-3

 

Anything you do or say that draws attention away from Christ’s accomplished _________________ is the worst kind of wickedness.

 

The Judaizers insistence that full salvation didn’t come without circumcision showed their confidence was in works men do rather than the work of Christ!                     See Acts 15:5-11

 

3.         Rejoicing in the Lord protects believers from the damning mistake of misplaced ___________________    V. 3b-6

 

 

“For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation.”                    -Galatians 6:15

 

Things I have sometimes placed ahead of confidence in Christ:

 

Circle all that apply:

 

Being a good person

 

Growing up in a religious home

 

Going to a Christian school or college

 

Cultural/ Ethnic background

 

Being more active in church than others 

 

Having walked the church aisle to the front

 

Having been baptized 

 

Being a tither

 

Being better than others

 

Being a Baptist 

 

Being a Tabernacle member  

 

The good deeds I’ve done

 

The gospel sharing I’ve done

 

The church ministry positions I’ve held

 

 

Yet indeed I also count all things loss 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 that is from God by faith.    -Philippians 3:8-9