Thursday, March 12, 2015

"Joy in Being Found in Him" - Doug Rehberg


This week we move to the heart of chapter 3 and the heart of the Gospel.  Have you ever wondered why so many Christians say that the reason people aren’t Christians is because of their sin?  “It’s the love of their own sin that keeps them from Christ,” they say.  “It’s the love of their own sin that drives them away from repentance.”  For many this is common knowledge; an axiom beyond question.  More than that, it is, for them, the heart of the Gospel.

Think about the prescriptions that are given by those who hold to such a view.  The essence of the prescription is this: “Leave your sin behind and start practicing godly behaviors.”  In other words, “Turn from your irreligious behavior and begin practicing obedience to God’s Word.  Go to church.  Read your Bible.  Join an accountability group.  Cut ties with the world, etc.  Simply put, leave your irreligious life and get religious!”

And yet, nothing could be further from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Indeed, Paul rejects such talk.  The truth is that such talk was the heart of the false gospel advanced by the enemies of Paul and Christ at Philippi.  Paul knew first-hand that such a view was devoid of truth and joy.  In fact, the strength of his denouncement of such teaching, here in Philippians 3, knows few parallels in Paul’s writings.  For Paul could clearly see that the religious are just as separated from Christ and the Gospel as the irreligious.  Paul knew that it’s not our “badness” that is at the root of our spiritual blindness, but our “goodness”.  He knew that sin is not the principle reason why people reject Christ, but their own righteousness.  It’s their trust in their own righteous that leads them to ask, “Why do I need the righteousness of another?”  No one understood this better than Paul, for he himself was once committed to this way of thinking.

You see, what Paul came to realize is that the irreligious and the religious are in the same boat.  Both have a strong sense of control over their own lives.  When it comes to God they believe He owes them.  That’s one of the reasons you hear so many people, even Christians, say, “I did everything right, why isn’t my life any better than it is?”  The startling news of the Gospel is that what makes you a Christian is not repenting of your badness, it’s repenting of your goodness.  What Paul discovered when he came face-to-face with Christ is that his righteousness couldn’t save him or free him from his misery, only an alien righteousness could do that.

Nowhere in all of Paul’s writings is this heart of the Gospel more clearly apprehended than in Philippians 3:4-11.  We will dig into this text this Sunday.  In preparation for the message, “Joy in Being Found in Him,” you may wish to consider the following:

1.      Why does Paul cite his own pedigree?

2.      Some have called verses 5 & 6 Paul’s resumé.  What is the purpose of a resumé?

3.      What are the five elements in his resumé?

4.      How is Paul’s “goodness” a greater problem for him than his “badness”?

5.      What does he mean when he says that he counts all his gain as rubbish?  What is a better translation of the word “rubbish”?

6.      Why does he consider  his resumé rubbish?

7.      For what reason does he lay it aside?

8.      How is righteousness our greatest need?

9.      How is righteousness our greatest problem?

10.  How is righteousness God’s greatest gift to us?

See you Sunday!