The Power of God is Within Us (Phil. 3:8-10)

The Power of God is Within Us
Philippians 3:8-10

INTRODUCTION:
“How am I going to make it?”
“Where can I get the strength to go on?”

How many times have you thought a similar question to yourself or maybe heard someone else ask the question?

How can we overcome fear?
How can we overcome anxiety?
How can we overcome worry?
How can we overcome sinful behaviors?
How can we get our lives pointed in the right direction? On the right path?

“Where can I get the strength to go on?”

I have mentioned before that I was a Spiderman fan when I was younger. There were only four channels we could get on our TV: CBS, ABC, NBC, and PBS. PBS had television programs like The Muppets, Captain Kangaroo, and the Electric Company. The Electric Company had a segment that included Spiderman, which was probably my first introduction to the web-slinger. You all know that Spiderman was Peter Parker who was bitten by a radioactive spider. That bite empowered Spiderman with super-human strength and other abilities.

Where can I get the strength to go on? We have been infused with strength when we were baptized into Christ. But, sometimes, we forget the the power of God is within us. Let’s study Philippians 3…

OUR PROBLEM: WE PUT CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH - 3:2-7:
What do you put confidence in, in the flesh? Notice in verses 3-4, Paul uses the phrase “in the flesh” three times! What do you put confidence in, in the flesh? Whatever it is that we put confidence in, in the flesh, that’s the reason we feel impotent so often! We look at what we have, in the flesh, and see its impotence, we see its limitations, and we feel powerless.

I want to focus on the word “righteousness” from verse 6 because Paul is going to bring it up again in this very paragraph. In verse 6, Paul says “as to the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.” Then he goes on to say in verse 7: “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Notice Paul says, “being righteous according to the law I consider as loss for the sake of Christ.”

“Righteousness” is being right with God; it is being in a right relationship with God. The word is used 92 times in the NT, very often, most often, in Romans. First, Paul says, as far as the righteousness which the Law of Moses required, Paul was blameless. Paul lived out the life God expected of an Israelite as well as he could; good enough to say he was “blameless.” But secondly, he says, “That does not mean anything to me! I consider that a “loss” for the sake of Christ!

PAUL’S SOLUTION TO CONFIDENCE - 3:8:
So what is Paul’s solution? In verse 8, Paul will use the word “loss” twice more. Not only does he consider the paragraph in verses 2-6 as “loss,” but here, he says he considers all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowledge! Brethren, I preach to your minds far more often than I preach to your hearts. Why? Because the Bible teaches that if our minds are filled with the right information, our hearts will go in the right direction!

The word “knowledge” is used 29 times in the NT, most often in 1 & 2 Corinthians. This is its only use in Philippians but it is very important here. Paul says, “I renounce everything for the value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” The designation “Christ” is, of course Messiah, and ties Jesus to the OT prophecies and fulfillment: “God in the flesh.” “Jesus” is His human name which emphasizes Jesus’ humanity. “Lord” designates Jesus as the Master who controls our fates. Paul says, “I just want to know Jesus!” He is my Messiah; He is my Lord.

Now, because Paul had been preaching Christ for several years and had been run out of town several places, he says that he had suffered the loss of all things due to his confession of Christ but, Paul says, he even counts them as “rubbish” so that he can “gain” Christ. This is the only place in the NT where this word “rubbish” is found; it can mean refuse, garbage, or even dung. It’s the worst contrast Paul could offer. Everything is rubbish compared to Jesus Christ. Why? Because everything else perishes with its using.

Earth holds no treasures but perish with using
However precious they be.
Yet there’s a country to which I am going.
Heaven holds all to me.

Paul’s solution is: Get to know Jesus Christ. Don’t get to know a figment of your imagination. To far too many people, the extent of their knowledge of Jesus is summarized in the nativity scene! Pick up your Bibles and get to know Him! To “know” Christ is the same as to “gain” Christ.

THE BASIS FOR CONFIDENCE - 3:9:
In this verse, Paul gives the basis for his confidence, the confidence of knowing Christ and gaining Christ. First, Paul says he wants to be found “in Him.” He wants to be found “in” Christ Jesus. The two passages in the NT which tell us how to get “into” Christ are Romans 6:3-4 and Galatians 3:26-27: through baptism. Baptism, immersion, in water is what puts us into Christ. It is there that Paul says the rest of these blessings are found.

Paul does not desire that righteousness that he had, derived from being blameless relative to the Law. That righteousness was not enough! That righteousness would still end in death because the sacrifice of animals could not take away sin!

No, Paul says he desires the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is given by God on the basis of faith. How important is trusting Jesus Christ? The word “faith” is used 243 times, five times in Philippians. Let me direct your attention back to Philippians 1:25, 27 where Paul talks about “the faith of the gospel.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is a whole system of beliefs that begin with the existence of God and the nature of Jesus Christ, the Bible as His word, guided by the Holy Spirit, and all the doctrines that are taught within the pages of the Bible. That’s the faith Paul is talking about.

He’s not talking about saying some prayer about inviting Jesus to be your personal Savior. There’s nothing like that in the Bible. Paul is talking about believing in Who Jesus is and then doing everything Jesus says to do, trusting everything Jesus says! That’s faith. That’s what brings about the righteousness that Paul has been talking about.

The basis of our righteousness is trusting the gospel message of Jesus Christ and doing, obeying, everything Jesus commands us to do.

THE POWER FOR CONFIDENCE - 3:10-11:
Where is the power found for this confidence, this faith, we can have in being right with God? Paul mentioned knowing Christ Jesus my Lord in verse 8. Here, Paul uses the verb "to know” and observe what Paul wants to know:

1. “Him” - Paul wants to know Jesus. He wants to be intimate with Jesus. He wants to be familiar with Jesus. He wants to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He wants to take the Lord Jesus into himself so that Paul thinks the thoughts of Jesus. He breathes the air of Jesus. He speaks the words of Jesus. Paul wants to know Jesus.

2. “The power of His resurrection” - The Greek word “power” is used 119 times in the NT. The word is generally used to refer to miracles; it refers to God’s miraculous power at work. That is the reference here: the power of Christ’s resurrection, which, of course, is the crowning miracle that God performed on Jesus Christ - He raised Him from the dead! In Romans 1:4, Paul had said that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with “power by the resurrection from the dead!” That power is available to us when we are immersed in the waters of baptism!

Paul makes that connection for us in Romans 6:3-5. Paul wants to know the power that comes from the resurrection of Christ. What power is that? It’s the power to be forgiven of sins, to be made right in the eyes of God; the power to be holy and blameless, innocent in the eyes of God! That’s the power that comes from the resurrection of Christ and our knowledge of that power! The resurrection of Jesus is at the center of our existence as Christians! The word is found 42 times in the NT, only here in Philippians. But it gives hope and power and a framework for our entire lives. We live in hope because Jesus rose from the dead!

3. “The fellowship of His sufferings” - “Fellowship” means engaging in some activity together. Back in 1:5, Paul told the Christians in Philippi that he was praying for them with joy in view of their “participation” in the gospel with him. That word “participation” is this word “fellowship.” So Paul says he wants to know the “participation” of the sufferings of Christ!

What does that mean? It means that Paul wants to be so united together with Christ, so absorbed by Christ, so indoctrinated with Jesus’ teachings, that he would suffer together with Christ, for the sake of Christ, if that’s what it takes. Remember, Paul was in prison in Rome when he writes this letter to Philippi and he was there because he was preaching the Gospel of Christ! He wants to know the participation of Christ’s sufferings.

Back in 2 Corinthians 1:5, Paul told the Christians in Corinth that the sufferings of Christ are “ours in abundance” but, so also is comfort abundant through Christ!

Paul identifies what suffering he is specifically speaking about in the next phrase: “being conformed to His death.” This is the only time this verb is found in the NT. In what way can we say that Christ died? By crucifixion. But Paul will not die by crucifixion; he will die by beheading. Christ died for the sins of mankind. Paul cannot die for that reason, although he could die trying to share the gospel message with mankind. Christ died willingly, for the sake of mankind. In that sense, Paul could die willingly, for the sake of mankind, giving up his life for the service of others. Christ died, as He lived. As a humble servant of His Father in heaven. Paul could do the same.

Paul wanted to know the fellowship, the participation, of Christ’s sufferings, being conformed to His death. Again, if we go back to 1:20, we see that Paul says his desire is for Christ to be exalted in Paul’s earthy existence, whether through Paul’s life or through his death. The possibility of us dying in our service to Christ is perhaps what motivated Paul to talk about the death of Christ in 2:8: Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Can anything less be expected of us? To become obedient to Jesus Christ, even if it means our death?

Paul will use Epaphroditus as an example of someone who participated in the sufferings of Christ. In 2:30, Paul wrote that Epaphroditus “came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient” in their service to Paul.

Finally, in our text, Paul says he desires to know all this “if perhaps” he might attain or arrive at the resurrection from the dead. This word for resurrection is not exactly the same word as that one used in verse 10. But, Paul says that’s what he wants - he wants to be raised from the dead!

So, we have finally arrived at the solution to our problem, its basis and its power: Righteousness obtained by faith in Jesus Christ so that we can enjoy the resurrection of the dead!

One of my favorite Disney movies is one that does not seem to be on the list of most popular Disney movies. It’s Brother Bear. I guess because the movie revolves around 3 brothers and I have two brothers, it seems to resonate more with me.

Brother Bear came out in 2003. In the film, an Inuit boy named Kenai pursues a bear in revenge for a fight that he provoked in which his oldest brother Sitka is killed. He tracks down the bear and kills it, but the Spirits, incensed by this unnecessary death, change Kenai into a bear himself as punishment. In order to be human again, Kenai must travel to a mountain where the Northern lights touch the earth. On his way, Kenai is joined by a bear cub, and learns to see through another's eyes, feel through another's heart, and discovers the true meaning of brotherhood.

Everywhere I turn I hurt someone
But there's nothing I can say to change the things I've done
Of all the things I hid from you I cannot hide the shame
And I pray someone something will come to take away the pain

There's no way out of this dark place
No hope, no future
I know I can't be free
But I can't see another way
And I can't face another day

Tell me where did I go wrong
Everyone I loved, they're all gone
I'd do everything so differently
But I can't turn back the time
There's no shelter from the storm inside of me

There's no way out of this dark place
No hope, no future
I know I can't be free
But I can't see another way
And I can't face another day

Can't believe the words I hear
It's like an answer to a prayer
When I look around I see
This place, this time, this friend of mine

I know It's hard but you found somehow
To look into your heart and to forgive me now
You've given me the strength to see just where my journey ends
You've given me the strength to carry on

I see the path from this dark place
I see my future
Your forgiveness has set me free
Oh, and I can see another way
I can face another day

Where does the power come from to help us overcome our fears? Our anxieties? Our worries? Our sinful behaviors? How can we get our lives pointed in the right direction? On the right path?

“Where can I get the strength to go on?”

The power of God is within us, if we are in Christ. The power of God comes from our connection to the resurrected Christ. It comes from having the right perspective in life. God will help us deal with the less-important matters in life, like paying our mortgage payment, because He wants us to enjoy the most-important matter in life: the resurrection from the dead.

Take home message: Our strength to carry on comes from our connection to the resurrected Christ. Draw on that power to work through the challenges of life.