Our joy is anchored in Jesus and his grace over our circumstances, our merit, our resume, our heritage, or our achievements. This joy fact is a safeguard for us... it stabilizes us.

Paul addresses something as chapter 3 begins that is critical to the faith of Christianity. It’s absolutely foundational to living life with God and experiencing His grace. In fact, he’s writing this to counter what this group called: The Judiazers was trying to push…

He’s addressing WHERE DO WE PUT OUR CONFIDENCE?
Is it in our efforts? Our merits?
Or is it in Jesus?

Paul is saying — I’ve had the confidence in my flesh/effort/birth right;
MY RELIGIOUS RESUME WAS SUPREME …but I discovered it wasn’t ultimately enough —
I needed God’s grace more than my grit.

Paul encountered JESUS on the road to Damascus and it forever changed him! He could no longer value his resume. He couldn’t see merit in his merits or worth in his good works anymore. He couldn’t see reasons to boast about anything he had done anymore. And he couldn’t see any option except to spend the rest of his life talking less about himself and more about Jesus!

Paul went from tooting his own horn - to one who blew the trumpet of God’s mercy and became the champion and grand poet of God’s amazing grace.

Paul writes throughout the New Testament...Rejoice in the Lord’s mercy. Trust in his ability to forgive. Abandon any attempt at self-salvation or justification. Cast yourself completely and totally upon the grace of Christ and Christ alone!

Truth:
being religious, in a legalistic sense, is just as problematic—as being irreligious.

So Paul is saying BEWARE of those who want to promote it's Jesus+ something else...

Paul says beware of the Jesus + something else paradigm…true faith trusts wholly and solely in Jesus Christ. His life, death, resurrection and all He accomplishes and secures for you through faith in Him…
we ride His coattails, not our efforts.

The Greek word that Paul uses—"skubalos"—is actually much stronger than garbage.

This is the only time it's used in Scripture, and it's being used in its most vile form. It refers to animal excrement. Paul was looking for the most disgusting term he could think of to talk about putting confidence in all of his gifts and abilities and achievements, and he uses a term that means "dog crap."

Paul's saying:
This righteousness that WE try and create for ourselves, …I’ve done that and more, and it wasn’t enough and I don't want anything to do with it anymore. I've found something so much greater—I found Christ.

Paul is saying in this passage:
Don’t get stuck in the religious maze!!!
• Avoid the dead-end called rules & rituals. (vs 1-3)
• Avoid the self-deception cul-de-sac called heritage & practice. (vs 4-9)
• Paul says: instead - take the highway called grace: trust & follow Jesus. (vs 10-16)

*God didn’t provide us a plan (so you could somehow try to work your way up to find him), he provided THE WAY (He Himself came to find you) …through Jesus.

John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

God’s grace in Jesus GIVES us an incredible combo of faith:
God's grace pardons us forever, empowers us for today and secures our future with Him.

Always stay anchored to Jesus + nothing = everything!

We have a couple folks getting baptized NEXT SUNDAY - if you'd like to go all in on Jesus and declare your faith in Him and want to get baptized as well, talk with Jack or Lyle. We'd love to celebrate you stepping forward in your faith journey with Jesus!

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Aren't you glad you came to church tonight?!

There's power when we gather together to worship in song and in the Word! We pray tonight has been a blessing to you as you start your week.

Join us next Sunday as we continue through the book of Philippians in our Joy Full series.

Check out the Elements up to stay up to date on upcoming events, including:
- 2nd Saturday Food Distribution on Sept 14th
- Girls Night Out on Sept 14th
- Dudes Day on Sept 28th
See you there!