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SERIES: |
Technicolor Joy: A Study through Philippians |
MESSAGE: |
Benefits of Being Believers |
SPEAKER: |
Skip Heitzig |
SCRIPTURE: |
Philippians 3:8-11 |
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MESSAGE SUMMARY
Being a Christian believer cost Paul a lot. He lost his status, he lost his prestige among former peers, and he landed in a foreign prison cell, facing possible execution. So what did he gain from his choice? What are the rewards and benefits of believing in Christ if the world hates you and most people misunderstand you? Today, we look at five of the benefits that offset any loss we might incur. These gains (or profits) make up for any momentary afflictions.
STUDY GUIDE
Recap Notes: October 29, 2017
Teacher: Skip Heitzig
Teaching: "Benefits of Being Believers"
Text: Philippians 3:8-11
Path
Being a Christian believer cost Paul a lot. He lost his status, he lost his prestige among former peers, and he landed in a foreign prison cell, facing possible execution. So what did he gain from his choice? What are the rewards and benefits of believing in Christ if the world hates you and most people misunderstand you? In this teaching, Pastor Skip looked at five of the benefits that offset any loss we might incur. His path through the text is as follows:
- Knowledge "Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus" (v. 8)
- Position "And be found in Him" (v. 9)
- Righteousness "The righteousness which is from God" (v. 9)
- Fellowship "That I may know Him..." (v. 10)
- Glory "The resurrection from the dead" (v. 11)
Points Knowledge
- You make choices in life, but choices also make you; every choice counts.
- Paul made a choice to follow Jesus, and he saw the world differently. What once seemed dull now shone with meaning, and things that had meaning became dull.
- The Bible describes believers as people who know God. Paul had tremendous knowledge, but the knowledge of Christ surpassed everything.
- Paul received the knowledge of Christ the same way we all do:
- First, he was born—he received a physical knowledge of life and the world.
- Second, he was born again—he received a spiritual knowledge of new life in Christ.
- Probe: The Lord wrote two books: the Word and the world (creation). Discuss the similarities and differences between physical knowledge (based in the world) and spiritual knowledge (based in God). Can you have one without the other?
Position
- Paul describes Christians as being "found in [Christ]" (v. 9). This phrase denotes our unity in Christ's life, death, and resurrection; Christ's life is in us.
- Practically, being in Christ means that when God looks at you, He sees Christ.
- Probe: In our close communion with Christ, He is in us by the Spirit, and we are in Him by the Spirit. There is both a physical and spiritual union. Think of a house: you can be in your home, and your home can be in you (memories, feelings, etc.). What are some other things that you can be in and are also in you (for example, oxygen)?
Righteousness
- Righteousness indicates a condition of being right before God, accepted by Him. It can't be produced by good works; it must be provided by grace and received by faith.
- Paul tried to get right in a host of ways: religious heritage, legalism, and rule-keeping. By worldly standards, he succeeded; by Christ's, he failed.
- Righteousness is not achieved by determination, but by imputation—the Lord places it in you and credits it to you. It is the great exchange (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).
- The worst form of badness is human goodness used as a substitute for true righteousness.
- Probe: Why is the biblical teaching of Christ's righteous imputation essential to the Christian faith? Without it, can we please God perfectly? Why not?
Fellowship
- Paul never came to a place in his life when he had enough of knowing Jesus; he always wanted more of Christ. The initial saving knowledge of Christ became Paul's lifelong pursuit.
- Paul longed for deeper fellowship with Christ (see v. 10):
- A personal fellowship: "that I may know Him"
- A powerful fellowship: "the power of His resurrection"
- A painful fellowship: "the fellowship of His sufferings"
- All the sufferings Paul experienced only deepened his fellowship with Jesus because He was one who suffered far worse.
- Sorrow is one of life's greatest fellowship enhancers. A trouble-free life is a shallow life.
- Probe: A common word used in the Bible for know is ginóskó. It means knowledge by learning or experience. How can our knowledge of Christ be expanded by learning and experience? Give examples.
Glory
- Paul was a humble man, saying, "I am the least of the apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:9; see also Ephesians 3:8).
- Paul understood that something greater awaited him: glory, the ultimate benefit our salvation—the blissful vision of seeing Jesus face to face. This is every believer's ultimate benefit: heaven with Jesus.
- As Christians, we are part of the greatest organization in the world, and our retirement package is unequaled.
- Probe: Though the Bible doesn't go into detail about heaven, there are some unique passages found in Revelation 21 and 22 concerning the new heaven and new earth. Note some of the unique facets of our future glory in these chapters. What did you find?
PracticeConnect Up: The word Paul used for righteousness in Philippians is dikaiosuné. It means an act of equity and justification. Why must we depend solely on Christ, receiving Him as Savior, to have a right relationship with God the Father? See Romans 1:1-17.
Connect In: The universal church should concern itself with Christian knowledge—in both learning and experience (see 2 Peter 3:18). Discuss ways we can grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (for example, Bible study and service).
Connect Out: Knowing that Jesus is the only way to the Father, how should this truth affect your relationship to nonbelievers? Other than evangelism (which is primary), what other practical things can you do to show the love of God in Christ to the world?
OUTLINE
- Knowledge “Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” (v. 8)
- Position “And be found in Him” (v. 9)
- Righteousness “The righteousness which is from God” (v. 9)
- Fellowship “That I may know Him…” (v. 10)
- Glory “The resurrection from the dead” (v. 11)