Today’s message, (sort of) transcribed:
Welcome to the Good News Aces, where we absolutely love to bang on the bridge.
The Elections may have been disappointing for many of us. Despite our expectations, our good Pastor Poppo ended up in #2.
Last week, I also resolved to fix an issue with the car. It wasn’t the clutch. Despite our expectations, It was something a whole lot cheaper – spark plugs.
Things happen outside of our expectations. But we in the body of Christ – we go beyond positive thinking. Our trust remains to be with the Lord.
See, for example, the experiences of brother Daniel and sister Kath during the scam pandemic. Kath was expecting, they saved only to find out they didn’t need to pay a single centavo.
The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith
And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time;it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
Habakkuk 2:2-3
We do more than just positive thinking – we trust in our God, who causes all things to work for our good (Romans 8:28)
All of this established and clarified what we would be talking about today. We’re primarily deriving our message starting in Philippians 3:1, covering the entire chapter and ending with Philippians 4:1.
Just a little update. Last August, we posted guidelines on Facebook: 1-Page infographics that serve as insights to take in as we exhort on portions of the service such as Holy Communion, Offertory and Testimonies. I took the liberty to quickly ‘pin’ the post so we always see it on the top of the page, for our reference.
Today though, since it is summer vacation for the majority of our students… We’ll be jumping into the Word as usual, but it’s apparently leading us to insights on Circumcision. Just wanted that on your minds before we went forward.
…and there is a lot for us to move forward from, now, isn’t there? Last week was crazy for me.
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
Disclaimer: I’m about to say the same stuff again… But, apparently, I’m no different from Paul, or even Peter, here:
10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.2 Peter 1:10-12
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”John 4:21-24
To worship in Spirit and Truth is to worship by the Spirit of God, and to glory in Christ Jesus and to put no confidence in the flesh. It’s also to realize that we are no longer dogs and evildoers who insist on the mutilation of the flesh, as if to worship with the flesh. As I go through all this I am reminded of the time we took through Romans 2, particularly in verse 29 where it states that the circumcision we have is in the Spirit; it is ‘a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.‘
Again, to worship in Spirit and Truth is to worship by the Spirit of God, to glory in Christ Jesus, and to put no confidence in the flesh: That is, to recognize that more than whatever circumcision our physical bodies were subjected to, we realize our circumcision is a matter of a heart, and by the Spirit. Can we be clearer about this? Paul gives us an idea of what it means, as he goes on:
4 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: 5 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; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Philippians 3:4-6
Paul excelled in both his qualifications and his achievements: He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, and also a Worker of Workers… But upon beholding Christ and His finished work, he came upon a realization similar to Isaiah 64:6, where it is mentioned that ‘all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.’; He continues by saying:
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”Hebrews 8:12
Because of Christ, God ‘(remembers) our sins no more‘; Here we see that because of Christ, our own qualifications and achievements are regarded, no more. Say that in a Yoda voice.
So, friends, we continue to worship in Spirit and in Truth. This entails that we worship by the Spirit of God, aware that we are alive in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is alive in us.
This entails that we are in perpetual awe and amazement of Christ and His finished work… and, here, more importantly, we recognize that it is in Him that we have confidence; No longer on our own works. No longer in our own qualifications and achievements.
So what does all this mean? Are our works therefore invalidated? Am I saying there’s nothing left for us to do? Are we to sit back and just wait to die, or for Christ to come back?
By no means! Understanding the superiority of Christ causes us to be secure in Him, and constantly taking in His finished work causes us to work, in our own lives, in selfless love, peace, patience, joy, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control!
In Christ we are secure, by Christ’s finished work we work excellently. We’re back to the first mandate in the very first verse: In Christ, we rejoice in the Lord!
Straining Toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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.
Philippians 3:12-20
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.Philippians 1:18-21
1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Philippians 4:1
Are our works therefore invalidated? Am I saying there’s nothing left for us to do? Are we to sit back and just wait to die, or for Christ to come back? No, friends, we rejoice, knowing that we don’t do what we do for God to save us and love us… But because we have the Holy Spirit poured out upon us, we are naturally overflowing with love, peace, patience and joy, and so on.
We rejoice in the Lord. We stand firm. And not only do we stand firm, but we overflow in the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
At this point I brought up our last week’s trip to Manila, and Sir Larry’s ‘Pep Talk’. I’m sharing the notes I took down as well as insights I brought in, here:
Get started already.
You already have the papers. You’ve had them for 5 months now.
Get started already.
You’ve already been saved forever. You’ve been saved forever and now time doesn’t matter.
Start that job.
Research on Sir Larry’s SMR side quest.
Brace yourself for when the BIR papers will be ready.
Work with the Aces.
Work on that AI.
Get started already.
Your season with all that money inherited is over.
The season to build has begun.
And that’s the thing. It’s not a job.
It’s a project.
It’s all projects.
Avoid underutilization
Honor the Giver by making the most of what you’ve been given. Truck. Computer. Mind.
Elections have ended, and they’ve had us bitterly and sadly singing, ‘Would you be my number 2?’
By the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m here to get us back in gear, singing, ‘We’ve only just begun to live’!
Rejoice. Stand firm.
Let’s pray.
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