Our preaching text for Sunday is Philippians 3:1-7. Paul lays out a very clear warning for his beloved brothers and sisters in Christ in Philippi. Just as it is today, it was not uncommon in the first century for false teachers to travel from town to town spreading a false gospel. It just so happens that Paul is very familiar with this brand of false gospel. The false teachers that Paul is warning the Church to be on the look out for seems to be a group of Judaizers. Judaizers would mix the notion of faith in Christ for salvation with the idea that, to truly belong to the people of God, one must keep the Jewish law. In other words, if Gentiles wanted to become Christians they really needed to become Jews. They needed to be circumcised, they needed to keep the food laws and follow all of the ritual and ceremonial laws that Moses handed down at Mt. Sinai. Paul is warning them to be on the look out for this and to reject it with every fiber of their being. So, to help them, he reminds them who the true people of God are, what they look like and how they live. He reminds them that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone. This warning is part of Paul’s pastoral ministry to the Church in Philippi, it is his devotion to work for their progress and joy in the faith. May we heed the warning of this text and may we cling to its grace for our own progress and joy in the faith!
Sermon Title : “Put No Confidence In The Flesh”
Sermon Text: Philippians 3:1-7
Meditation Passage: Jeremiah 9:23-26
Call To Worship: Psalm 33:13-22
Benediction: Revelation 1:5b-6
Songs For Sunday
No list of sins I have not done,
No list of virtues I pursue,
No list of those I am not like,
Can earn myself a place with You.
O God! Be merciful to me—
I am a sinner through and through!
My only hope of righteousness
Is not in me, but only You.
No humble dress, no fervent prayer,
No lifted hands, no tearful song,
No recitation of the truth
Can justify a single wrong.
My righteousness is Jesus’ life,
My debt was paid by Jesus’ death,
My weary load was borne by Him
And he alone can give me rest.
No separation from the world,
No work I do, no gift I give,
Can cleanse my conscience, cleanse my hands;
I cannot cause my soul to live.
But Jesus died and rose again—
The pow’r of death is overthrown!
My God is merciful to me
And merciful in Christ alone.
Ending:
My righteousness is Jesus’ life,
My debt was paid by Jesus’ death,
My weary load was borne by Him
And he alone can give me rest.
Grace Greater Than All Our Sin
Wednesday Evening – Women’s Bible Study
Women’s Bible study this Wednesday, November 16th from 6:30-8:00pm. The women will meet in the Youth Sunday School classroom. The handout for Esther chapter two is at the back of the auditorium. Please contact Courtney Sharp or Jara D’Souza for more information.