Winter Conference - Day 3 cont.

All I can say is Clayton King brought the heat tonight!!!  Here are my notes from his message:

"PROFIT OR LOSS"

Philippians 3:1-11

1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If others think they have reasons to put 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; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;

6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

In verse 1, Paul lays the foundation. In verse 2 Paul gives a warning, a "watch out".  But in verse 3 Paul begins calling out these "dogs" or "pretenders" who were perverting the gospel.  Here his lists 7 of his achievements:

1. Circumcised by the 8th day.


2. Of the People of Israel


3. Tribe of Benjamin


4. Hebrew of Hebrews


5. a Pharisee


6. Persecuting the Church


7. Legalistic Righteousness - Faultless

Everything changes at verse 7. Paul was full of himself till Christ.

1.  There is No Joy in Legalism (verse 2)

• If I had to keep the law to be saved... I'm doomed!


• My joy is in Jesus and Jesus is in me and you can't take it away.


• You can't earn it.  If you did, then it wouldn't be GRACE.

2.  There is No Good in the Flesh (verse 3)

• Your flesh will continue to deteriorate.

3.  There is No Future in Your Past (verse 7)

• Wake Up!!! If you are investing your life in anything other than Jesus Christ then you are going to be disappointed at its dead end.


• The future only goes forward.

4.  There is No Righteousness Apart from Christ (verses 8-9)

• Just because you didn't engage in sin (i.e. sex outside of marriage) doesn't mean you didn't think about it (i.e. lust).


• Righteousness equals Perfect;  Perfect Thoughts and Perfect Motives.


• Paul says, "All I did before Christ is a pile of dung... but now I have Jesus.

All hope lies in Jesus Christ our Savior.  Do you know him?  Is Jesus Lord of your life?

Posted in: