Sermon Outline - Paul Rejecting A Personal Righteousness, Philippians ch.3 vv.4-12
| Date | 16/05/2004 |
|---|---|
| Time | 17:30 |
| Preacher | Rev. Maurice Roberts, Inverness |
| Sermon Title | Paul Rejecting A Personal Righteousness |
| Text | Philippians ch.3 vv.4-12 |
| Sermon ID | 847 |
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Introduction
- Do you all question your spiritual state?
- A good reason why you should.
- Illustration: the key that was not there.
A PERSON MAY BE VERY RELIGIOUS BUT UNCONVERTED
- The most important question in life is: "Am I saved?"
There are people who believe they are but are not. - This was the Apostle Paul's experience formerly.
His experience is full of importance for us all;
the merely religious man always boasts (v.4). - What Paul once trusted in:
- CIRCUMCISION: in NT, baptism, etc.
- JEWISH BIRTH: from a good family.
- A CHOICE BACKGROUND: from a good church.
- HEBREW THROUGH and THROUGH: parents?
- A PHARISEE: the best teaching (Gamaliel)
- ZEAL FOR GOD: love for God 'made him cruel'.
- OUTWARD CORRECTNESS: respectable.
APPLICATION: It was not conversion. Let me prove it.
- The most important question in life is: "Am I saved?"
WHEN WE ARE CONVERTED WE REJECT ALL PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS
- He came to reject all this as a false foundation.
ILLUSTRATION: a fine house built on a bad foundation.
OBSERVE: See Paul's vehement rejection (v.7, 8, 9). - What led to this change in Paul?
- the example of Stephen.
- the inward work of God's Spirit (Romans 7:7-13)
- the sight of Christ's glory (Acts 9)
OBSERVE: The true Christian has come to know that his best efforts in religion are all defiled. Outward correctness is not enough.
ILLUSTRATION: "Whited sepulchres".
- 3) Paul's trouble before was that he thought he was better than he was. It is every man's mistake till he is converted.
ILLUSTRATION: an organist who heard Bach play! - 4) God's standard for heaven is Perfection - but how can we get it?
ILLUSTRATION: a girl who got 99% in an exam. - 5) How can you get to heaven if God requires Perfection?
APPLICATION: Think carefully about that question.
- He came to reject all this as a false foundation.
WHEN WE ARE CONVERTED, WE GLORY AND BOAST ONLY IN CHRIST AND IN WHAT HE HAS DONE
- Paul had to tell us of his early mistake to warn us against repeating it. His life is given by God as a warning to us all - the danger of self-deception is very great.
- The mistake Paul made was corrected when he came to trust in Christ alone for salvation. See how fully he states it:
- v.7 : "But". What a change! "gain/loss".
ILLUSTRATION: a business that has gone bankrupt but still thinks it is doing well. - v.8 : what a statement!" Christ is here over and over again. "Dung".
- v.9 : See the rejection of his own.
- v.10: here is love for Christ.
- v.11: here is heaven in sight.
- v.7 : "But". What a change! "gain/loss".
CONCLUSION
Could YOU be as Paul once was?
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