Jesus had risen and he’d promised true, forever life to everyone who put their faith in him. The Apostle Paul knew it was fact. He had encountered Jesus himself and was living out what Christ had promised. Nothing could quench his joy!...Not even damp, cold prison cells. From those dark places, he wrote letters of hope and encouragement! Using the words “joy” and “rejoice” 16 times in Philippians alone, it’s safe to say that is the main theme of his short letter to the church family in Philippi. Paul proved we can be joyful no matter what - this message series will show us how!

The value of knowing Christ is priceless! It provides energy and joy for the perseverance required.

Message Notes

Philippians 3

The great temptation is to depend on human effort to impress God.

Watch out for those who say, “you must be or do ___________________ to be saved.”

Philippians 3:2

We tend to build our spiritual resumes to establish our “rightness.”

Philippians 3:4-6

But the only way to be right with God is reliance on what Jesus Christ has done.

We rely on what Jesus Christ has done for us.

Philippians 3:3

Everything besides what Jesus has done is worthless.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
Philippians 3:7-9

To truly know Jesus is to experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.

Philippians 3:10

The source of truest joy comes from an ongoing daily relationship with Jesus. This relationship enables me to get past the past, live successfully in the present and anticipate the future.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:12-14

Bottom Line

True joy doesn’t depend on my resume, but on my relationship with Jesus.  My relationship enables me to get past the past, live successfully in the present, and anticipate the future.

Next Steps

1. Make sure you are not counting on your resume or performance, but depending fully on your relationship with Jesus.

2. Write out your commitment to “press on.”