9/17/23 Philippians - Part 8 “Rubbish!”

“Rubbish!”

Philippians 3:1-14

A few days ago, I stumbled across an interesting news story.

It was a New York Times article from November 2020 called “Designed to Deceive – Do These People Look Real to You?”

The article begins by showing pictures of people’s faces – all kinds of people representing both male and female, along with various ages, races, sizes, and ethnicities.

To me, these faces looked…real – like people That I would see walking down a crowded street in a large city. Some of them even looked familiar – like I’d seen them before.

Then, at the bottom of the pictures, the article explained that all of these photos were actually…. fakes – they were not real people.

These images were completely generated by artificial intelligence, hence they were “Artificial People”

The article went on to explain how people with evil motives are acquiring these “fake people” to set up bogus social media accounts in order to infiltrate certain organizations, dispense propaganda, or, to reach into your wallet.

There are even websites such as generatedphotos.com or thispersondoesnotexist.com where you can purchase images and likenesses of “fake people.” The going rate - at least back in 2020 - was $2.99 + tax for one fake person, but if you purchased fake people in bulk, the rate dropped to a buck a face….what a deal, huh?....that’s even a better deal than saving 11% at Menards, right Joyce?.…you don’t sell fake people over there, do you?...didn’t think so.

Well, If this weren’t scary enough, the article then goes on to demonstrate how these supercomputers went about generating such realistic faces.

Apparently, these supercomputers work with mathematical values to determine specific facial attributes and characteristics. Then, after this is accomplished, an entire continuum of facial images can be produced for each photo.

For instance, one picture was labeled “age” and by sliding a bar one way or the other below a picture of a “fake” individual, you could instantly see what that person would look like from birth to age 120.

The same option was given for other values such as “mood” or “ethnicity.”

They can go from frowning to smiling, or from Venezuelan to Siberian with one click….

Finally, the article gave some clues as to how to spot a “fake face.”

One way was to look for imperfections. The AI computers tend to make faces that are too perfect. The eyes and ears are too symmetrical, or the person’s teeth are too straight.

Another way to notice a fake face is by the absence of pimples, or moles, or scars.

These imperfections are what distinguish the fakes from the real thing – so the next time you look in the mirror and see that mole you wish you didn’t have, let it remind you that its presence is part of what makes you completely unique….and real.

In our reading for today, Paul begins chapter 3 of Philippians by contrasting real faith with faith that is not real – “Fake-Faith”, so to speak.

Paul wanted his readers to be able to recognize false prophets when they saw them – as well as to have the ability to recognize genuine, saving faith.

In verse 1 of our text for today (Philippians 3:1) Paul begins by reminding believers that serving the Lord, although not always easy, ought to be an experience saturated with joy.

He tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord”

The well-known baseball player-turned-evangelist Billy Sunday famously said these things about joy:

“Don’t look as if Christianity hurts you.”

Folks, there are simply too many professing Christians going around today looking like they just stubbed their pinky toe on the corner of the bed post.

Remember – if you have the power of the Holy Spirit residing within you, there should be joy pouring out of you – not pain.

Another one of Billy Sunday’s famous quotes was: “If you have no joy, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.”

A joy-less Christian should be as common as a fin-less shark…As far as I know, all sharks have fins….and you know a shark is coming your way because of that big dorsal fin sticking up out of the water.

The same should be true of you and I - We don’t have fins…and most of us don’t eat people…but the world should notice something about our demeanor and behavior that distinguishes us from the culture around us.

This distinguishing characteristic is called JOY.

In John chapter 15, Jesus reminds us that joy is a by-product of obedience to Him: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be made complete.” (John 15:9-11)

We live in a joy-less society – it is our responsibility as Christ-followers to project the joy of an obedient lifestyle onto the canvass of a miserable, disobedient world.

Paul also warns us in verse 1 that the following verses will include some things we have heard before – and he says that these well-known truths will serve as a “safeguard” for us.

Paul knows that a good teacher will repeat himself – let me say that again….A good teacher will repeat himself - because, as human beings, we tend to easily forget things…can I get an ‘Amen’ to that?....welcome to the club!

Verse 2 of our passage for today (Philippians 3:2) is very interesting.

Paul has some harsh words for false teachers of his day who were involved in teaching doctrines contrary to the teachings of Christ.

He calls these men “Mutilators of the flesh”, who “Do evil”…he even calls them “Dogs” – a particularly degrading word of the day that conjured up images of 1st century dogs. These animals were not like the relatively cute, pampered pets that we see walking their owners everywhere today.

Dogs in 1st century Israel were much like our coyotes today – opportunistic, unhealthy, dangerous, and dirty.

Essentially, he is referring to a particular kind of first century false prophet – they were known as Judaizers. Anyone here familiar with that term?

Judaizers were converted Jewish men who professed to believe in Jesus, but they taught that Gentile (Non-Jewish) believers needed to submit themselves to numerous Old Testament ceremonial rules and regulations in order to be considered true followers of Christ.

This goes against the very heart of the gospel message – that being it is not our works that make us righteous before God, but rather, our relationship with Jesus – that is the only way to be considered righteous in God’s eyes.

Numerous passages speak to this truth with Ephesians 2:8-9 probably being the most well-known: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

These Judaizers taught that the performance of physical acts such as circumcision were still necessary for salvation despite the clear teachings of Jesus, Paul, and others to the contrary.

Even under the Mosaic Covenant in the Old Testament, God originally intended circumcision to be an outward sign of an inward reality of faith – much like Baptism is today.

Paul plainly articulates this truth in Romans 2:29 where it states “No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code….”

In other words, we are saved through a changed heart, not through any kind of outward, physical act.

Here’s a simple saying that contains an important truth: A legalistic person always minimizes the work of Christ - and maximizes the work of man!

In verse 3 (Philippians 3:3) Paul moves from describing these Judaizers with their works-based theology to describing what genuine faith in Christ really ought to look like.

He says in verse 3: “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh.”

Look closely at the words Paul is using here to describe genuine believers – they are the circumcision (meaning they have an inward spiritual cleansing, not a meaningless outward mark) they worship by the Spirit (Meaning they simply worship out of love for their God) and they put no confidence in the flesh (Meaning they understand that we are spiritually powerless in our own efforts)

Does this describe you this morning?

Do you see religion as based in a relationship with your savior – one that invokes gratitude in your heart to the degree that obedience automatically pours forth….?

Or….do you tend to veiw religion as complying with a set of rules and regulations?

A couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to take a boat ride on Lake Redstone with Laurie and Andy.

It was a beautiful day to be out on the lake - we thoroughly enjoyed it.

One thing I noticed while out on the boat was that whenever Laurie would engage the throttle, not only would the boat go faster, but the front of the boat (That’s called the bow, right?...my nautical vocabulary leaves a lot to be desired)…the bow would always rise into the air.

This reminds me so much of the Christian life. The more we engage ourselves in God’s Word and in prayer and in the lives of fellow believers – the more we will naturally be producing good works that point straight up to our savior in Heaven.

Works are a natural result of a relationship with Jesus – one that is founded upon gratitude for His willingness to take upon himself our sin and be put to death on a cross in our place….This is why we do good works!

In verses 4-6 (Philippians 3:4-6) Paul provides a detailed description of his impeccable pedigree as a young man before coming to a saving faith in Jesus.

When it came to demanding respect within the Jewish culture of the 1st century AD, Paul was a thoroughbred….a blue-blood, so to speak.

First of all, he was born into a highly respected line – the Tribe of Benjamin.

He vowed to follow the letter of the law to the best of his ability while growing up and later studied under Gamaliel, perhaps the most respected Pharisee in all of Israel during that time.

Paul was smart, resourceful, and full of zeal….And, by the way, none of these defining attributes changed after his conversion experience – God simply transformed for good what was once used for evil.

Verses 7-9 of today’s passage (Philippians 7-9) get to the heart of our message for today – and this is one of the most important passages in all of the Bible….You underliners – you know what to do!

It is here that Paul confesses that all of his many achievements and accolades that he had acquired in his life before coming to Christ were…worthless.

He now considers these awards & trophies to be detestable artifacts of self-glorification and worthless objects of a works-centric religiosity.

It used to be all about him – but now, it’s all about his savior Jesus Christ.

In verse 8 (Philippians 3:8) Paul calls these personal accolades “Rubbish”

The Greek word for Rubbish is Skubalon and it literally means waste with an emphasis on dung, or excrement….the polite word here would be manure!

In other words, Paul is referring to all of his prior accomplishments and efforts to gain respect from God and man as…well….Manure!

In other words, THEY STINK!

These accomplishments stink because they were performed and achieved for the sole purpose of fueling the fire of pride in his own heart rather than living in obedience to the flame of the Holy Spirit.

How about you?

Do you have any trophies laying around the house that remind you of a time in which you prioritized the praise of men over God?

I used to display some old trophies from high school in my office at home and then a few years ago went through and chucked’em all in the trash….I thought to myself, why do I still have these stupid things on display in my house?!

They were all reminders of a time in my life when my priorities were really not where they should have been. I was striving for accolades, praise, and attention for myself rather than striving to bring attention to my savior – and for that reason – at least for me - those trophies really stunk!....They were Rubbish!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling all of you this morning to go home and throw away all of your awards – “Pastor Andy said I gotta chuck my trophies in the trash!” – No, that is something that has to be between you and God.

But at least for me, I needed to do it….I no longer wanted to be reminded of the stench of a time in my life when it was, quite frankly, all about me.

Finally, in verses 10-14, Paul encourages us to press on in our faith.

Verse 12 (Philippians 3:12) reads: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

He repeats this theme in verse 14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

We get the sense that Paul was a sports fan, don’t we?

He often uses illustrations in his letters like these that contain an element of sport and competition, especially racing.

The illustration of Christians running a race always has as its end goal, spiritual obedience & growth.

In Acts 20:24, Paul tells the Elders from Ephesus: “…I consider my life worth nothing to me, If only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Paul’s sole focus in life was to carry out the task which God had given him – and to accomplish it to the best of his ability. He would continue to “Press On” every day in much the same way as a self-disciplined athlete would do as they prepare for a big event.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 we read: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Here, Paul is referencing the popular Isthmian Games which took place in Corinth on the opposite years of when the Olympic games were held in Olympia, Greece.

Think of these games in Corinth as the “World Championships” as opposed to the Olympic Games held every four years in the city of Olympia.

Some of the more popular events would have included: Wrestling, Boxing, Foot Racing, Chariot Racing, and the brutal ‘Pankraton’ - It was a combination of wrestling and boxing - that would sometimes end in death for the loser.

The winner of each of these events in the Isthmian games and in the Olympics would have received a wreath to wear upon their head made from special Greek leaves and vines.

Paul is reminding us in this passage that the victor’s crown of leaves will not last forever, but if we strive to live our lives in obedience to Jesus, we will receive a far better reward – a crown – that will last for eternity!

This inspires Paul to encourage us to put forth effort in living lives of obedience to our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!

Just as athletes remain focused and put forth effort to obtain a prize, we need to put forth effort in living out our faith.

Now - It’s important to remember, however, that we as believers are NOT competing against each other.

The competition that Paul refers to involves competing against our own sinful nature – the part of us that would rather take the easy road of comfort rather than the more difficult road of self-sacrifice and obedience.

We all fight that battle – and we fight it every single day.

The good news is that if you stay on course, if you press on to live your life in consistent obedience to His Will, you will have great satisfaction when you reach the end of your life.

You will be able to say the same words as what Paul told Timithy in his 2nd letter to his young protégé: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Part of the history of the Advent Christian denomination that continues to be an area of doctrinal emphasis today is that of looking with anticipation to the second coming of Christ.

We as followers of Jesus ought to be excited about the reality that our savior will indeed be returning someday to set up His Kingdom that will be saturated with faith, hope, and love – Are you excited about that this morning?

Let’s all live our lives in such a way as to remain focused on our task here on earth as spiritual athletes who are in strict training, to stay true to our calling, and to throw out the Rubbish – the trash, that if we are not careful, can hinder us from crossing the finish line of our lives in victory.

The goal of your life – and the goal of my life – is to live in such a way as to someday hear those victorious  words from the lips of our savior:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Let’s Pray.