Philippians 3:4-10
"A Jew for Jesus "
Gospelcom Bible Gateway

^"4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

INTRODUCTION:

Paul was not always a revered Apostle. Far from it! He once was the dreaded enemy of the church and its chief antagonist. But here's the rub - he was ultra-spritual! His religious pedigree brought him social status, smug self-righteousness and public power. It also separated him from Gospel! Here he tells what he gave for and what he needed more than anything else in life.

1. Yeshua Ha'Mashiach - Jesus the Messiah of Israel

2. Paul is the ultimate Jew for Jesus. Mary Goetz - Hallelujah to Yeshua from a Jew that Never Knew Ya

3. Paul's testimony shows how he changed in these verses to one of the strongest proponents of Yeshua Ha'Mashiach

4. Are there people in your life that you have given up on? Why have you? No one is beyond hope.

5. What is your testimony?

I. Profile (4-6)

A. His Spiritual Upbringing

1. A Jew by birth

a. Circumcised, deeply religious, very sincere, yet unsaved

b. This is Paul's "bragamony" his real testimony begins in verse 7

c. He is not a convert but was born in the faith by ritual and covenant

d. There are people that stand on their heritage and not on their relationship

2. A Jew by birth

3. Tribe of Benjamin

a. This is the tribe that Israel's first King Saul the tribe of Kish

b. This is the same kingdom that

4. He was a Pharisee

a. Pharisee comes from "Parashim" and means separated one's

b. Gamaliel was the grandson of Rabbi Hillel

c. He was named as "The glory of the Law"

d. When Rabbi Gamaliel died the glory of the Law passed - Talmud

e. He was mentored and tutored by him

f. This is why Saul of Tarsus hated the Christians so much

g. "Let there be no hope who apostatized from our true heritage and let these heretics all perish in a moment" - Gamaliel against the Christian heretics

h. He memorized entire sections of the tanach and debated with Gamaliel thus preparing him for his ministry later

B. His Spiritual Zeal (6)

1. Persecute - di-oh-kown is the same word that he uses for "press"

2. "Press on" same word (verse 12 and 14)

3. The same energy he uses now in serving Christ he once used to persecute

4. cf. Acts 8:3, Acts 9

5. Here is a guy that is so into and sincere and heartfelt in his religion and yet is so wrong.

6. Is your zeal according to knowledge or just emotion?

C. His Spiritual Practice

1. He was blameless (both written and oral)

2. There is a danger - righteousness by rule keeping

3. The rules become the bar of righteousness and this leads to us becoming smug

4. What are the standards by which you live your life?

5. Religious people are the hardest to convert because of this reason.

II .Penitence (7)

A. These are the words of a changed man

B. "When God wants to do an impossible task, He takes an impossible man and crushes him" - Alan Redpath, Moody Bible

C. This verse is the result of that conversion

D. He went from braggamony to testimony

E. What Paul is saying in this verse is that all of the assets I have, status, reputation, and learning I have thrown away to gain something more.

F. What things? Pharisee, Hebrew of Hebrews, tribe of benjamin, circumcised on the third day

G. A good thing can become a bad things if it keeps you from the best thing.

H. These things kept Paul from trusting in Christ.

III .Priority (8-10)

A. Clear Evaluation

1. Counted or Count or Counting - To evaluate. I have thought it through

2. 30 years ago I counted the cost (7) and in verse 8 it is present tense. The same decision I made 30 years ago is still the choice I make now

3. Longevity is the test of choice

B. Consistent Position (9)

1. Grace vs works is new to Paul as he was used to rule keeping

2. Notice how this changed hi life?

3. What does a life look like when it is filled with rules and religiosity vs a life filled with grace?

4. Good works do not save you they are a result of being saved.

5. No longer did Paul have to "work towards heaven" he simply worked. See the difference?

C. Continued Passion (10)

1. Compare verse 8 with verse 10

2. saul now Paul was one of the most knowledgeable men of his generation

A. He new written and oral law, multiple languages and Grego-Roman culture. He was brilliant

B. To know by experiential knowledge not intellectual

3. Paul wanted a continued passionate, personal, experiential knowledge of Christ

APPLICATION:

1. Write your own personal testimony:write it in 2 columns. On one side list what you've given up to follow Jesus. In the second column list what you've gained from following Jesus. Who got the best deal- you or God?

2. Name a few ways you find yourself getting to "know" God better? Are you closer and more passionately in love with Him today that when you first began? Read, meditate, and pray over Revelation 2:1-15 this week.

¹ “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ ⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: ⁹ “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’¹² “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ¹³ “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

MEMORY VERSE: Philippians 3:8

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ"