Sunday LinkUp – April 6, 2025 – Philippians 3:4-14

CALL TO WORSHIP

OPENING COMMENTS

Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter Preparation.
- FYI … Easter Sunday, this year, is April 20 … Palm Sunday is April April 13.
The theme this week is God’s redemptive work.
- In our call to worship psalm, Psalm 126:1–6, the psalmist declares that God has restored the fortunes to Zion.
- In Isaiah 43:16–21, the prophet speaks of how God once redeemed Israel from slavery and would continue doing something new for them as well.
- In Philippians 3:4b–14, Paul gives his testimony of living through Christ as opposed to his former unredeemed way of assuming his own righteousness.
- And in John 12:1–8, Mary is defended by Jesus for her extravagant gift as she prepared him for his imminent redemptive act.

OPENING SONG

OPENING PRAYER

FIRST READING

Isaiah 43:16–21

¹⁶Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, ¹⁷who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down; they cannot rise; they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

¹⁸Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. ¹⁹I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ²⁰The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,to give drink to my chosen people, ²¹the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

FIRST MESSAGE

Have you ever felt like you were alone in a wasteland? Maybe during a break-up, financial crisis, or losing someone dear to you.
Even in the wastelands, when all is hopeless, Jesus continues to meet us wherever to restore us and make us whole again.

A Path Through the Jackals
Cara Garrity

Program Transcript +

Have you ever been to a place you’d call a wasteland? Perhaps the depths of a junkyard or the parched ground of a dry riverbed? Isaiah 43 brings some similar imagery to mind talking about Israel in exile, describing the landscape as populated by wild beasts, owls, and jackals. This is a place where there is nothing left — nothing grows and the wind never blows.

Perhaps this describes how you feel at times – especially in this season of Easter preparation. The celebration of Jesus’ birth is long behind us, the celebration of his resurrection is ahead of us, but we are nearing the liturgy of the passion when we focus on his suffering and death and we can find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and in a kind of spiritual wasteland.

This is the kind of environment Israel seems to be in — exiled, away from home, under the thumb of Babylon. But this passage in Isaiah 43 is right here at the turn of hope. God’s deliverance was soon to appear for Israel.

This is what the Lord says —
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
Isaiah 43:16-17

The first thing Isaiah does here is remind them who they are dealing with—the God who brought them out of Egypt, who brought them through the desert. He draws their attention to the past — God, the way maker.

Isaiah then used the familiar desert imagery to show God turning the tables — bringing their deliverance:

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
Isaiah 43:19-20

Even in this wasteland — a place only populated by scavengers and bone-pickers — God makes the way. In this place of uselessness and complete loss, he shows up.

Has this happened to you? Has God met you in the wasteland — economic ruin, a disintegrated marriage, the depths of depression? Has he made a path through the jackals for you? Or maybe something in or around you seems like a wasteland right now. There is good news for us. No wasteland is too barren for our God to meet us there.

In the incarnation, God meets us, once and for all, in the wastelands of the human experience and reveals to us that Jesus Christ himself is the way in the wilderness, the river in the desert, a well of living water for the thirsty.

During this season of Easter preparation, we recognize the wastelands in and around us and embrace our deep need for Jesus. We do this in confidence that the victory of resurrection is upon us, that our God is making all things new.

Until that time when the Kingdom comes in fullness, watch for signs of life in the wasteland — for the flowers coming up through concrete and that trickle of water on the desert floor. Jesus is HERE; he is HERE for you.

I am Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.

HYMN OF RESPONSE

SECOND READING .

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

⁷Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. ⁸More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. ¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, ¹¹if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

¹²Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. ¹³Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

MAIN MESSAGE (Interactive Sermon)

Are You Willing To Give It All Up?

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more:

⁵circumcised on the eighth day,

a member of the people of Israel,

of the tribe of Benjamin,

a Hebrew born of Hebrews;

as to the law, a Pharisee;

⁶as to zeal, a persecutor of the church;

as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

NLT … ⁴though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
NLT … ⁵I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin — a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
⁶I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

⁷Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.

NLT … ⁷I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

whatever gains … achievements/accomplishments in the flesh
as loss … compared to what is in Christ … everything is in Christ, SO, if Christ is in us, we have everything

⁸More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.

NLT … ⁸Yes, 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 ⁹and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.^{[ the faithfulness of Christ]} For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, ¹¹if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

NLT … ¹⁰I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

¹²Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me.

NLT … ¹²I 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.

¹³Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

NLT … ¹³No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,[ not yet achieved it] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

CONCLUSION

A. The title of the sermon is Are You Willing To Give It All Up?

B. To properly answer that question … you’d have to know what “It” means.

C. For me, the “It” refers to anything that is preventing you from knowing God more — knowing Christ better.

D. From the GCI Lectionary …

Paul discovers that he still is in process — as are we all. He is actively letting go of those things he once had as a source of credit for his religious bank account.

Like Paul, we should be aspiring to have the willingness to let go of status and significance in the eyes of the culture. Nothing we have been or that we have worked for previously is of value unless it is rooted in and built upon the foundation of love.

This week let’s ask God to reveal to us any areas where we are putting confidence in righteousness of our own. Let’s ask him to transform any superiority or “better than you” attitudes into a heart of humility and a focus on Father, Son, and Spirit.

May our hearts come to know the supreme value of knowing Christ Jesus. May we come to know our union with God, our Father, as we learn from the Holy Spirit not to trust in our own qualities or achievements.

It is because of the acceptance of our triune God that qualifies us to stand as his beloved people. Let’s make this truth our own just as our loving God has made us his own.

COMMUNION

Most of us … are aware of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant

What we may not be as aware of … are the SIGNS of the Covenants … given that both covenants have signs associated with them …

For the Old Covenant … the entrance sign was CIRCUMCISION … the continuing sign was THE KEEPING OF THE SABBATH
For the New Covenant … the entrance sign is BAPTISM … the continuing sign is PARTAKING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Those of us who are in the Church are under the New Covenant … and so, as a result, we were baptized AND partake of the Lord’s Supper whenever we can.

Today … we have another opportunity to partake of the Lord’s Supper, using emblems to remind us of Christ’s Body and Blood (symbolic of His total sacrifice and His Life).

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

BLESSING OF EMBLEMS

PARTAKING OF EMBLEMS

OFFERTORY

As we reflect on what Christ did for us … how He became like us SO THAT we could become like Him … how He gave His life SO THAT we could have life … WHAT CAN WE GIVE IN RETURN?

Nothing, really … but we can offer our lives in worship, in appreciation

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.

One way we can offer reasonable worship is by honouring God with our substance — by giving offerings to God …

So … as we play the closing song, we’ll be taking up an offering (as part of our worship)

CLOSING SONG (Offertory Song)

CLOSING PRAYER

BENEDICTION

Lectionary Notes

The Supreme Value of Knowing Christ

Philippians 3:4b–14 NRSVUE

There was once a Jewish man who had much to brag about. He was the perfect specimen of Jewish lineage and achievement. You could say he was “Captain Israel.” he had all the status, clout, and significance that anyone could attain in the religious arena.

And yet, this man would find out that everything he once trusted in would be worth nothing to him. He would decide to throw all those things away for just one thing. And this one thing would make all the difference for him, as it will for us. Let’s see what is worth suffering the loss of all things.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a hebrew born of hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Philippians 3:4b–6 NRSVUE

This was written by the apostle Paul, who seemingly had the perfect life. Since birth he had been set up for success. He had the right background and family lineage. He excelled at the top of his class in his education and training. His religious and political activism went above and beyond those of his peers. He was a success … or was he?

Paul was exceptionally well–versed in the Jewish faith. It also sounds like he knew all the rules and kept them well. But did this necessarily translate to having an intimate relationship with God? Had these things done anything to transform his heart?

In verse 4, Paul uses “flesh” to describe more than just his physical body; it encompasses his ability to navigate life independently of God’s power and grace. Living in the flesh could be described as seeking security and significance from others and operating from self–reliance rather than humble submission to the Father.

If Paul were to be graded on his “flesh,” his school marks would be top of the class. But what if he was in the wrong class altogether? Perhaps we should ask ourselves just how far we think our own flesh is getting us.

While there is nothing wrong with coming from a good family, or having an excellent education, or exhibiting all the right religious behaviors, these things do not form the basis of our Christian faith. Paul is going to make this abundantly clear in verses 7–9.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. Philippians 3:7–9 NRSVUE

Paul encounters a dilemma. What happens when everything that you trusted in is keeping you from getting what you need the most?

One way of looking at this is to think of Paul as standing on a ladder. Each step of the ladder represents a different aspect of his own righteousness, his background, heritage, education, training, religious observance, and zeal. Only after reaching the top, does he realize that his ladder is leaning against the wrong building. The building that he is leaning against is called “righteousness by law,” while the wall he should have been leaning against is called “righteousness by faith.”

Paul goes even further by referring to his old way of obtaining righteousness as rubbish. Or more correctly, something your dog might leave behind at the park.

What Paul found out was that his own righteousness was keeping him from finding the love of God. His reliance on his own goodness, and seeking validation from others, was keeping him from experiencing the grace of God.

So, why was Paul writing to the Philippian church about this? In the preceding verses 2-3, Paul warns against embracing the teaching of “the circumcision group.” These were believers who were insisting that faith in Christ wasn’t enough. They insisted that to truly be made righteous, one must become circumcised and start obeying other Jewish commands from the law — a combination of grace and law.

This is where we must ask ourselves some probing questions. Are there things that you are taking a stand on that make you feel superior to others in the Body of Christ? Maybe you don’t partake in certain things that other Christians find permissible, and therefore you suppose that this places you higher up the ladder than others in the faith. Maybe you congratulate yourself because you belong to a certain political party that you assume is more closely aligned with Christian values.

To the church in Galatia, Paul writes:

… a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16 NIV

Going back to our text in Philippians, many of the verbs in verses 7–14 are passive, which points towards the work of Christ on our behalf, as opposed to our own works.

In Verse 9, the phrase “faith in Christ” is more accurately translated “faith of Christ.” Your own faith will never be enough. It is his saving faith, and not our own ability to muster up enough faith that will complete the job. This is in line with what Paul has been saying throughout this passage.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:10–14 NRSVA

Paul discovers that he still is in process — as are we all. He is actively letting go of those things he once had as a source of credit for his religious bank account.

Like Paul, we should be aspiring to have the willingness to let go of status and significance in the eyes of the culture. Nothing we have been or that we have worked for previously is of value unless it is rooted in and built upon the foundation of love.

May our hearts come to know the supreme value of knowing Christ Jesus. May we come to know our union with God, our Father, as we learn from the Holy Spirit not to trust in our own qualities or achievements. It is because of the acceptance of our triune God that qualifies us to stand as his beloved people. Let’s make this truth our own just as our loving God has made us his own.

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