Pastor David Koop 

There were those who had come to the church in Philippi and wanted to introduce circumcision to them.  In essence they were saying that grace was not enough, they needed aspects of the law to be right with God. These teachers presented a list of their qualifications to gain the attention of the people.

Paul was saying, “I have more reasons to be confident than they do. But what my confidence is built on is not what I can accomplish or what I was born into. My confidence is in knowing Jesus and in His power there is no limitation.”

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In Philippians chapter three Paul expands on what true confidence is but first he lists what is false confidence.

Philippians 3:4-7
Yet I could have confidence in myself if anyone could. If others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! For I was circumcised when I was eight days old, having been born into a pure-blooded Jewish family that is a branch of the tribe of Benjamin. So I am a real Jew if there ever was one! What’s more, I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. And zealous? Yes, in fact, I harshly persecuted the church. And I obeyed the Jewish law so carefully that I was never accused of any fault. I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

False confidence:

1. Placing our confidence in our _____________.
2. Placing our confidence in our _____________ name.
3. Placing our confidence in our  ___________________.
4. Placing our confidence in our _____________.

True Confidence:

1. Knowing  ___________ versus just knowing about ___________.
   
   
1. Philippians 3:8a,10a Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, ….. that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.
   
   
2. Revelations 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
   
   
2. Understanding your _______________  ______________ with God.
   
   
1. Philippians 3:9 ... 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.
   
   
2. Romans 5:17b ... those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
   
   
3. David said in Psalm 24:5, “They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have right standing with God their savior.”
   
   
4. David’s confidence with God allowed him to say to Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:47, “Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”
   
   
3. Let go of the past and reach ___________.
   
   
1. Philippians 3:13,14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
   
   
4. Remember your ____________ is in heaven.
   
   
1. Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.