Unlearn to rejoice

Rested and Ready: Unlearn to rejoiceSpeaker: Pastor Angela LukScripture: Philippians 3:1-16Big 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; and3. Put no confidence in the flesh2. 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 winsCount our blessings, face our limits3. Grab the Surpassing Gain of Christ (v.7-9)A radical renunciation (v.8) - “I count everything as loss” - all or nothing4. 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 gritFour 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), andStrain toward the goal for the prize (v.14)Application: Unlearn to RejoiceFor 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.