Thank you for having Rach and I here. And we were here two years ago and had a meeting with Paul and Jessen and Michael talking about TEKI. I think at that point, it was whether to go to Turkey or go somewhere else. And two years later, we're back, and it's a privilege to be back, and just before Brother Poi and Brother Michael and their families moved to Turkey. to preach the gospel there. It's been a privilege of ours to just hear news of how God has been blessing both families, both churches, and how God has been preparing them for the big move. And so we continue to pray for you. I want to ask you to turn to Philippians chapter three. I was just looking at my watch here. My watch says it's time to go to bed. So that's how my body feels right now. But I do have some things that Paul is talking about in Philippians chapter three. And it's my prayer that would benefit this afternoon as we consider Paul's testimony in chapter three. Philippians chapter 3, and I'll read from verse 1 through verse 11. Philippians chapter 3, verse 1 through verse 11. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I am also. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, A Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law a Pharisee, concerning zeal persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 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, 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, that I may gain sorry, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death if by any means I may attend to the resurrection of the dead. There's some things from Philippians chapter three that I believe have been very helpful for me that have been very helpful for our church, especially as we consider the person of Christ, and Paul is very specific in verse eight when he talks about the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. So I want us to spend our afternoon considering Christ. We heard this morning when Paul read from Hebrews 12, looking unto Jesus. We want to spend some time considering Christ, the surpassing worth of Jesus Christ. You and I are familiar with the language within our circles or within our churches, in the Reformed churches, We speak of the glory of Christ. We speak of the preeminence of Christ. We talk about these things, but as I've listened and listened to a lot of messages, I keep hearing about the glory of Christ, but sometimes you don't get the glory of Christ. And so when we go to passages like this, we find Paul and others dealing more clearly what that looks like. There are many circles where the glory of Christ is only understood by some sort of a force working somewhere. The glory of Christ is understood to be some bright light that you cannot even look upon. But what we see in a passage, in a book like Philippians, and here specifically in chapter three, and also chapter two, is that Paul is very specific in what he's saying concerning the glory of Christ. It's things that are tangible, it's facts that are laid out for us from Genesis all the way to Revelation. It's truths that can be understood. And as we come to the knowledge of those truths the Bible says we are transformed by those things. So we don't want to talk about Christ as if it was some mystic person out there that we cannot come to the knowledge of him. We want to hear about Christ and talk about Christ the way the Bible brings Christ to us the way he has been revealed to us someone who can be known the Christ whom we can walk with can understand can have an experience of his work in our lives can love and can be loved by him. Paul. begins as he's writing to the church at Philippi, and if you are not familiar with the book of Philippians, it's probably one of the places as you read Paul's letters to start from. He's writing to a church 10 years later. We're talking about missions and where we're coming from as a church. Paul is writing to this church at Philippi 10 years after planting the church himself. It was the first church in that part of the world in Europe, Macedonia. Paul planted, founded the church, and here Paul is in prison 10 years later, and he writes back. And for Paul, there are precious memories in this church. There is his first convent, Lydia, In Acts chapter 16, there is the jailer who had arrested Paul and is probably in this church at this point. There's the slave girl that Paul had cast out a demon when he was in that region. And so Paul is writing back from prison to these men and women in the church, and this church also had a great concern and passion for missions and supported Paul and encouraged him in his work. And so he writes back encouraging them to be joyful concerning joy. He writes back to deal with issues of division in the church. He writes back to also share a little bit of his own story while in prison. But he also writes back to warn them of others who were coming in bringing a different gospel. And so that's where we are in chapter three. He says, finally, my brethren, rejoicing the Lord, for to me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. So he says in verse two, beware of dogs. And so when I preach this in our church, it was easy for our church to understand what Paul is talking about or Paul's seriousness in dealing with false teachers. There are many false teachers who are coming and traveling in the region, preaching a different gospel, saying that you need Jesus, but you're not saved until you're circumcised. And Paul begins to write about these men. So he calls them dogs in verse two. In Africa, you can never literally find a dog in the house. So when you hear Paul say, when we read this text and hear, beware of dogs, we kind of have a clear idea of what Paul is talking about. It's kind of different here, at least in my understanding, where dogs live and how they are cared for. Beware of dogs, beware of evil wakers, beware of the mutilation. And so he's dealing with the same group of people. The circumcision he calls them in verse three. But then in verse three also Paul says, for we are the true circumcision. That's what he's trying to say. For we are the true circumcision. We are the children of God. Don't listen to the false teachers who are telling you that you need to be circumcised to be served apart from your faith in Jesus Christ. So he says, beware of these men who are traveling around preaching a false gospel. In verse three he says, we are the true circumcision who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. And then he goes on to give a little bit of his own account. In verse four, though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, consenting the law, a Pharisee, consenting zeal, persecuting the church. And these are men with sort of similar qualifications that are moving around preaching a different gospel. And Paul says, if it were about what we have achieved in the flesh, I probably would have more confidence standing before God. Concerning zeal, Paul persecuted the church. Concerning righteousness which is in the Lord, blameless. And then when he gets to verse seven, Paul says, but what things were gained to me, these have counted loss for Christ. And I want us to begin to pay close attention from there, because in chapter three, Paul gives us what truly happens when a man or a woman comes to the knowledge of the excellence of Christ Jesus. When a man or woman comes to know who Christ is, he speaks as if these are things he has done himself, but the truth is Paul is trying to say to us, this is what has happened to me, this is what happened to me on the road to Damascus when I met Jesus, when I came to the knowledge of Christ and knowing his excellence and and experiencing his power, being gripped by his beauty, his excellence. Christ, something happened to me. Us as believers, we find ourselves in this place most of the times. We We keep falling and probably at least it's my experience, we keep going back into thinking this is what I've done and I have to do more to be loved by God, to feel accepted by God. And so it's a common temptation for us believers. But Paul is trying to show us what happened to him when he came to the saving knowledge. of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to hear more at least I believe I need to hear more and to be reminded that my life is more about what God has done for me what what he has done in my life than what I'm doing for him or have done for him. This is kind of where us as believers find ourselves. We fall into old religions that believe that religion is about what you do for God and not what God has done for us. And so in verse seven, Paul tells us that when he met Jesus, a couple things happened, a few things happened, in his life. Number one he says what things were gained to him these have counted loss for Christ. Jesus teaches us a better way of counting. We spend so much time trying to teach our kids how to count and we want them to learn how to count better. We want them so that as they grow they can be able to count different things, most of the times we're thinking about counting money. But Paul was taught a better method of counting. And so he says when he met Jesus, when he came to the knowledge of Christ, what things were gained to him, he now count those things as loss. What are those things? It's what he's been talking about from verse for. If it were about what we can do for God, Paul would have more confidence. He was a Jew of the Jews. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee of the Pharisees. If it were a matter of keeping the law, Paul says, blameless. If it were a matter of education, Paul would have say, I'm way better than the qualifications that you have. If it were a matter of being devoted to his Jewish religion, Paul says, I sought to destroy the church. But what things were gained to him, these I've counted for loss. These things ceased, at least in Paul's life, stopped to make sense. They didn't make sense anymore. These things that these men were going about preaching and telling believers to add to their faith in Jesus, Paul says, those things have counted lost. They don't mean anything anymore. He considered all those things as loss for Christ. In the part of the world where I come from, going to university, it's something probably that has been happening only for the last maybe 30 years or 40 years. It's very new. So if a person has been to university, if a man or woman has had a college degree already in society, the person is considered to have achieved great things in life. And Paul could come up with a better list of things that he had achieved than that. We see him talking about his earthly achievements as far as education is concerned. We see him talking about his religious achievements. We see him talking about his tribal identity. He says he was of the tribe of Benjamin. Again, in my culture, Tribes, there are tribes that are considered prominent and there are tribes that are just tribes. And Paul says, I came from a better tribe. Actually, if you were in Malawi today, I personally come from a better tribe. And so if it were a matter of boasting in the flesh in my country, I would have a lot to boast about. But Paul is looking at all these things that we consider to be gain in life. whether it's education, whether it's our religious achievements, could be the ministry itself, could be great preaching and all those things, could be the business opportunities and money and all the things that we've been able to acquire in this life. Paul says, every single thing that I considered to begin, these I've counted loss for Christ. And then he moves on to verse 8. He says, And so before we talk about verse 8, let me just prepare you for what's coming because He hasn't told us anything yet. He's just telling us that there were things that were very important to me. There were things that I considered gain to me. But at this point, for the sake of Christ, I count those things loss. But he hasn't told us more about this Christ and how that happened in his life. And so, Kip, trucking with him. In verse eight, yet indeed, I also count all things lost. It's as if Paul is saying, as a matter of fact, I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. And so you hear that phrase, and you say, that's not enough, I want to hear more, and that's where Paul is taking us. So he counts all things lost, all things that he considered gain, he count those things lost. As a matter of fact, Paul considered count all things as lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ. And so Paul was taught by Christ to count all things lost. Thirdly, he says, He counts all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Three, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. And so, even becoming a Christian for Paul meant a loss of some things. Not only what he's given us, but even for being a Christian, he suffered some things. It says, he suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. What is Paul? trying to say to us. The things he counted gain, he considered gain, he now count them as loss. As a matter of fact, he counts all things as loss. Being a Christian cost him something. But the things that he suffered for being a Christian, even those things, he considered them loss and count them as rubbish. that he may gain Christ. Verse nine, 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." That phrase, and be found in him, is where Paul wants to bring us because that is where everything in his life has happened. He suffered all things. He considers all things gain as loss. and he counts all things lost for the excellence of Christ for this reason, to be found in him, which should be the ambition for every Christian, to be found in Christ. And the language that he uses here, not having my own righteousness, he's not only talking about Christ and the person of Christ, but also what Christ Jesus has done for us believers. He wants to be found in Christ. What's the big deal about being found in Christ? This is where Paul wants us, where he's trying to bring us. What is it about Jesus Christ? There are a lot of people who are pursuing so many other things. They want to be found in that. They want to be found doing that. Their lives only make sense because they do certain things. They go to certain places. They identify with certain people. They have a certain type of a career. There are so many things. We want to be found in so many things. Paul says, I have suffered the loss of all things for one reason to be found in Christ. But what's, and this is where we should help people understand, what's the big deal? If Jesus is just another figure, another religious deity over there that people can worship, but there is nothing much beyond him. And there are some things that he claims, some things that people talk about, and sometimes even unbelieving friends that we have, family members, sometimes even our own children, he has talked about Jesus Christ, but we only talk about Jesus Christ, nothing beyond that. That's not attractive enough. Paul has no assumptions here. And we shouldn't make assumptions that when we say Jesus Christ, when we talk about Jesus Christ, that people know what we're talking about. That even in our own homes, when we tell our kids to put their faith in Jesus, to believe in Jesus, we shouldn't assume that they know what we're talking about. When we make assumptions, an emphasis that our church is Christ-centered. We want our lives to be Christ-centered. We want our families to be Christ-centered. We want to have a culture that's Christ-centered. We shouldn't assume that people understand what we're talking about. We need to define what we're talking about. Paul says, and be found in him. I'll give up all things that were gained to me for this Jesus to be found in him. As a matter of fact, I count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. So actually for him, I've suffered the loss of all things and I count them as rubbish. In other versions, I count them as dung that I may gain Christ. Now listen to the language that Paul uses. He says he's counted all things lost for Christ. In verse eight, he counts all things for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Toward the end of that verse eight, he says that I may gain Christ. Verse nine, and be found in him, not having his own righteousness which is from the Lord, but that which is through faith in Christ. Jesus. In verse 10, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death. If by any means I may attend to the resurrection of the dead. Everything is Christ-centered. But what are we talking about when we talk about Christ and being Christ-centered? Turn with me to where Paul begins in Philippians chapter 2. He begins to show us this Jesus. Why Paul believes that he's worth losing or giving up everything. Philippians chapter two and verse five, it says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it wrongly to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a born servant and coming in the likeness of men. and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And to be found in him. He wants to be, he desires, he labors, he gives up all, he considers all that he has lost and suffered, to be rubbish for Christ so that he may be found in this Christ. I want us to start from where Paul begins in his consideration of who Christ is. Because Paul's Paul's consideration of Christ in verse nine and be found in him is within the subject of Christ himself and what he has done for us. And that begins with the incarnation. And so Paul, when he thinks about Christ being worth giving up everything, he's thinking about God, Christ as God incarnate. that this man who was in the form of God, who was God, did not consider it robly to be equal with God, but humbled himself, made himself of no repetition, taking the form of a born servant and coming in the likeness of man. No man ever so humble like Jesus Christ. It's this. clear facts about our Lord Jesus Christ that should win our hearts away from the world and closer to Him. our being persuaded by what Jesus has done. It's not because we've heard about Jesus so many times that we just have to go with Jesus, because everybody's doing it. But because we understand that this man, Jesus Christ, whom Paul says, I want to be found in him, humbled himself did not consider the fact that he was God something he needed to hold on to. But to redeem us, to identify with us so that he can die for us and pay the penalty for our sins, this Jesus lowered himself. No man ever so humble like our Lord Jesus Christ. so humble to the lowest, to the lowest person, as the Bible puts it for us here, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. So he would lower himself to the simplest man or woman in the world. There is no one humble, so humble, like the Lord Jesus Christ. He made himself of no reputation. It's something that we would love to hold on to, isn't it? We want to hold on to our reputation. We want to hold on to the good things people say about us. We want to hold on to the things, to the way we think about ourselves. The way we want people to see us. We want to hold on to those things. Paul says to us that this Jesus, He wants to be found in this man, in Jesus, in this man who is so humble that even though he was God, did not consider that something he needed to hold on to. He humbled himself and became obedient, even obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. No man ever so humble like our Lord Jesus Christ. And if there is anything beautiful, anything, something lovely about this man, Jesus Christ, is that this man is so humble. And we as God's people, or even someone who has not trusted in this Jesus, should find consolation and hope in the fact that this Jesus has humbled himself to our level, and beyond our level, and leaves us with no excuse. Because he understands us fully, even in our wicked ways. No man ever so humble. Listen to what Paul says in verse 9. He says, Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on the earth and of those under the earth. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. No man ever so humble, but at the same time no man ever so exalted like the Lord Jesus Christ. He is highly exalted by God the Father. It's given him A name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, and of those in heaven and those on the earth. And Paul says, I want to be found in this man, God incarnate. I want to be found in him, the humblest of all. yet highly exalted by God the Father. He has a better name. Our generation is obsessed with sports and music and movie stars and all these big names. The Bible tells us that God has highly exalted Jesus and given him a name which is above every name. We need to come to Jesus and see how highly exalted this Jesus is. He should be admired because there is no one more admirable than Jesus Christ. He should be and he must be admired. Think of the man or woman you admire the most. Who do you admire the most? We ask children, and just a few years ago I stopped asking children this question. What do you want to be when you grow up? It's a very terrible question. Very terrible. When we ask children, what do you want to, Who do you want to be? What do you want to be when you grow up? We're basically asking them to pick a name among feeble men and women. But we should be telling them what they should do, what they should be when they grow up. That they should seek to be found in this man, Jesus Christ. Who has been given a name which is above every name. that at His name every knee should bow. Never a man so humble, but never a man so highly exalted like Jesus Christ. And so we should be saying to our kids that you should desire, pray for, and hunger to be found in this man that Paul wanted to be found in, the man Christ Jesus, God incarnate. What else is Paul telling us? If we go back to chapter three where we are, and be found in him, So it's not having my own righteousness. And he begins to show us what Jesus has done for us. That he humbled himself, took on flesh. God, he took our sins upon himself, and God punishes him, crushes him on the cross. because of our sins. And Paul says, I want to experience, to have this great exchange, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, which is not a righteousness at all that can help me stand before God, but that which is through faith in Christ. two things that Paul is telling us here. On one hand is the fact that Jesus Christ is holy and righteous. On the other hand is that he's perfectly paid the penalty for our sins and that great exchange is that Jesus has suffered for us and he has given us imputed on those who believe his righteousness. And it's the righteousness of God, the righteousness which is through faith in Christ, because Christ is holy. So Paul says, I want to be found in him who has humbled himself and also has been highly exalted. But I also want to be found in him because he is holy and righteous. As I've thought through this so many times, I have zero concept of what it feels like or what it means to be sinless. All I know is sin and all I have known is sin. So when I hear Paul say, I want to be found in him, and I would give up all the things that I considered gay, and I give up all those things. As a matter of fact, I count all things lost, the things I've suffered for being a Christian, even those things, I count them as rubbish, so that I may be found in this holy, righteous man, the man Christ Jesus. I have no concept what that feels like. Do you? This man, Christ Jesus, He's so admirable, so excellent, because He's perfect and sinless. What does that feel like? All the men and women in this life, the things we admire, all those things have God's blemishes, are full of sin. They are hopeless cases and they need Jesus to be redeemed. We aspire to be like those things, to be like those men and women. Paul says, no, I want to be found in this man who is holy, in this man who is righteous, because this man is pure, is perfect. Listen to what Isaiah says, Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 9, but with the reach at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth." 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21, for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. Listen to what the writer of the book of Hebrews says this is for such a high priest was feeding for us who is holy harmless and defiled separate from sinners and has become higher than the heavens. He's excellent. He's lovely. He's perfect. He's admirable. Paul says I would give up all things and I would suffer A loss of all things for this man, Christ Jesus. What drew you to Jesus? Everybody was just talking about Jesus. My family, a church, wherever I went, everybody was talking about Jesus. So I just decided to follow this Jesus. And then I can try to keep up with everybody else. It's a lot of work. We can't just keep up. We need to come to the place where Paul is. Where Paul wants us to be. To be found in Christ. Because Jesus is excellent. Because he's lovely. Because he's perfect. Highly exalted. So humble. Beyond our level. So perfect, so holy, so righteous. What is this Paul telling us? 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. Again, Paul is dealing with the central theme of the gospel, the great exchange. As sinners, are given this perfect, pure righteousness of God because the Lamb, the Christ, the Son of God that was sacrificed was perfect and holy. But there is something beyond that in the text implied. That He is also the most beloved Son of God. That His sacrifice had to be accepted by God. It wasn't just a holy sacrifice. But it was also that this man, Christ Jesus, fulfilled the requirements of the law. And that his sacrifice was accepted before God because he broke no law. It was a perfect sacrifice. So Paul says, I would give up all the things I considered gain. As a matter of fact, I consider all things loss for this man to be found in him. Being a Christian, I've suffered the loss of all things and I look at those things that I've suffered and lost, I count them as rubbish. Our generation knows how to apologize for suffering for being in Christ. We are shamed. We apologize for suffering for the sake of Christ. Paul says, I consider those things rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Because this man is well pleasing to God. In Matthew chapter 3 and verse 17, and suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Seven billion people, not a single one of them is pleasing to God. Think about that. God hears and listens to this one man. And Paul says, I want to be found in him. He's the beloved son of God who perfectly fulfilled the law with all obedience, honored God, and to God's wrath because of our sins, And God accepted his sacrifice. Three days later, he rose from the grave, having overcome death. He's well-pleasing, the well-pleasing Son of God. Paul says, I want to be found in the Son of God. So you and I, the only reason why God hears us. The only reason why we can pray and have confidence that God has heard our prayers and he desires to answer our prayers is because those prayers have been made in Jesus Christ. It's because we are in him, because we have faith in him, because we are his children through Jesus Christ. Without this well-pleasing Son of God, there will be no access to the Father for us. So Jesus is excellent in the sense that He's the only doll for us to the Father. He's admirable. Because of all the billions of people, He's the only single person who can give us access to God the Father. When you think of Jesus, don't think of Him just some being that's out there. Yes, glorious and all the other things we know about Him and of Him. But think of him in this way also, that what he did on the cross of Calvary, and Paul says he wants to be found in him, what he did on that cross was fully pleasing to God the Father and opened the door for us to come to him. He's lovely in that sense. He's the perfect mediator Again in Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 6, but now he has obtained a more excellent ministry inasmuch as he is also immediate of a better covenant which was established on better promises. This is why Jesus is lovely. This is why Jesus is excellent. This is why Paul says, I give up the whole world for the sake of this man so that I may be found in him. When you say I'm a Christian, what does that mean? What do you mean by that? If you say I'm not sure about the Christian faith, I'm not sure about Jesus, I'm not sure about Christianity, Is it because you have investigated who Jesus is and you have found him wanting? Paul's fully persuaded about who Jesus is. And that taught Paul a better method of counting. Count all things lost. All things that were again lost, all things he had suffered for being a Christian, count those things as rubbish. Here's the last thing that Paul implies in verse 10 and 11, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death if by any means I may attend to the resurrection from the dead. I want to be found in this man because this man is going to judge the dead and the living. So we should not be in Christ Follow Jesus because everybody else is doing it. But because Jesus is lovely. Because Jesus is excellent. Because Jesus surpasses all. Because Jesus Because He's holy, He's sinless, He's perfect, He's righteous, He's a well-pleasing Son of God. Because this Jesus who has triumphed death on the cross and has overcome death and has been raised the third day. This Jesus who has been given a name above every name. This Jesus who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. This Jesus will judge the living and the dead someday. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter five and verse 10. So Paul is persuaded about Jesus Christ with clear, tangible facts about who Jesus is. It's not some things up in the air, he's convinced about the Son of God and what the Son of God has done. And so when he speaks of the excellence or the surpassing worth of Jesus Christ, of his Lord, Paul has clear knowledge of what he's talking about. And that's the kind of knowledge that we need about Jesus Christ. We need a full persuasion about this man. 2 Corinthians 5.10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. This man, Christ Jesus, as the Bible teaches in every place, will one day do what we've seen in Philippians chapter 2. He'll take up that place, that judgment throne, and he's going to judge the living and the dead. He's going to bring all of us before him. So he's excellent in the sense that all things have been handed over to him. He's been exalted and given all power and given all judgment and he will one day exercise that judgment. He will bring his enemies and he will make war with them. And Peter tells us It's not how we normally picture it in our minds that somehow it's going to be a very difficult and long day as his enemies resist his authority. That somehow Jesus is going to have a hard time because it looks that way right now. That Satan is going to work so hard to resist him. When that day comes Peter tells us in a blink of an eye If you have blinked right now, it's over. Amen? It's not going to be a long day. It's not going to be difficult for Jesus. He who has been exalted, who is excellent, who is lovely, whom Paul says, I want to be found in this man and I can give up all things. And what Paul is trying to say to us is that if Gain in this world means just an accumulation of things and all the things it's talked about, qualifications and tribal identification and all those things, religious zeal. If that is gain to us, then we've never gained before. What he's doing here is the opposite. He's trying to say, we hear him say, oh, I count all things lost. And he sounds like he's lost. Paul is talking about having real gain in Christ Jesus. Because that's what it means to have something, both in this world and in the life to come. that even on that day those who consider that they have gained something by accumulating things in this world, by building life on the things of this world, and not in Jesus, those will discover that they never really possessed anything at all. And those who look at their lives and it all seems like they have lost everything, they are suffering, Those who look at their lives on that day and discover that they have everything. So what is your confidence this afternoon? What is your confidence? Where is your rest? What are you trying to achieve? If this day were to come today, are you going to be found in him? At least if I may ask, is it your ambition to be found in him? Every Christian should be asking himself that question. At least we should be asking ourselves that question. What is your ambition? Is your confidence money, house, work, business, family, relationships, ministry, future plans, ambitions that you have? Is that where your confidence is? And this is not This is not for us to just feel bad that we've put confidence in some things out there. This is to help us think more seriously what true gain looks like. So what is your confidence? Time will fail us to try to discover and explain all the excellences of King Jesus as displayed in the scriptures. But at least we're given in this text and in other places clear, tangible facts about who Jesus is. And so if you are coming to Jesus and wanting to grow in him or seeking to put your faith in Jesus, seek to put your faith to be found in him because you've been persuaded about who he is, God incarnate. Make sure it's clear, tangible facts. This is what I've discovered. It's those things that last. It's not the emotional experience. It's those simple, clear facts laid out for us in scripture that last. It's not just experiences. Let's close with this. says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. It's what he's already talked about, what we've talked about already, and the fellowship of his sufferings. We heard about suffering this morning. So what is Paul trying to say to us? On one hand, there is a sense in which we have suffered with him when he suffered on that cross, in that death, But there is a sense also in which what he's already said, I've suffered the loss of all things, that we still suffer with him right now as believers. And so it comes down to this, how are we handling suffering right now? Because it is, this hope that we see in verse eight with Paul, that even the things he had suffered for being a Christian, the things he had encountered in this new state, those things he count them as rubbish that he may gain Christ. You see, suffering has a tendency to either draw us closer to God or away from him. Let us suffer well, amen? Let's pray. Father, we pray that our knowledge of Christ, our profession of faith in Christ, what we mean when we say we love Jesus and we know Him and have placed our faith in Him, may amount to a full persuasion of who he is as revealed in scripture. The Lord, it may not be a romanticized experience of Jesus, but the knowledge, the excellence of the knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ. Help us to know him, to be convinced of his beauty, his glory, to be convinced of his power, his authority, to be convinced of his humility. Lord, to be convinced that he is truly exalted to the right hand of your name and speaks better things on our behalf. God, I pray that our knowledge of Christ, our profession of faith may not be rooted in slogans and trendy phrases, but that we may have a genuine knowledge that truly can change a soul in our hearts. Give us grace this afternoon. We ask this in his name. Amen.