Rested and Ready: Unlearn to rejoice
Speaker: Pastor Angela Luk
Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16
Big Picture: Release what hinders joy in Christ. Paul counts all as loss to gain the surpassing joy of Christ.
1. Paul Commands Us to Rejoice in the Lord So We Safeguard Joy Against Deceptive Threats (v.1-3)
Joy Alert (v.1): “Rejoice in the Lord” is command under threat!
True Confidence Checklist:
1. Serve God by His Spirit;
2. Boast in Christ Jesus; and
3. Put no confidence in the flesh
2. Paul Exposes His Impressive Resume as Loss So We Forsake False Confidence for Christ (v.4-6)
Forsake false confidence by exposing the emptiness of past wins
Count our blessings, face our limits
3. Grab the Surpassing Gain of Christ (v.7-9)
A radical renunciation (v.8) - “I count everything as loss” - all or nothing
4. Paul Presses On to Know Christ So We Strain Forward with Mature Grit Toward the Prize (v.10-16)
Lock in on the prize by pressing forward with mature grit
Four action verbs from Paul:
Know Christ and the power of his resurrection (v.10),
Press on - imperfect but pursuing (v.12),
Forget what lies behind (v.13), and
Strain toward the goal for the prize (v.14)
Application: Unlearn to Rejoice
For the Leaders: Release Old Traditions.
Ask: Which habitual practices serve our mission, and which have become joy-robbing obstacles?
Action: Conduct a ministry audit in fellowships/small groups.
For the Members: Release Old Expectations.
Ask: What’s one church expectation that started good but now hinders joy?
Action: Share one “release” in group discussions.
