Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. I invite you to turn with me
this morning to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians 3 and verse 3
is going to be our text. It says, For we are the circumcision
which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence in the flesh." No confidence in the flesh. Now,
did you know that we should never have an opinion on the Word of
God? That's an interesting statement,
isn't it? We should never have an opinion on the word of God. There are so many buildings and
there are so many preachers and they can all hold the same Bible,
but they're all different. Why is that? Why are there so
many differences? Here's the answer. Opinion. We should never have an opinion
on the Word of God. God wrote what he means. We read it, we hear it, we believe
it. Somebody might say, well, what's
your opinion on election? I don't have one. I don't have
one. God said I didn't choose him. He chose me. He said, I'm elect
according to the foreknowledge of God before the foundation
of the world. And if He says I'm elect, then
I'm His elect. Well, what's your opinion on
limited atonement? I don't have one. I don't have
one. If He says that He died only
for His elect, then He died only for His elect. I don't have an
opinion about it at all. It wouldn't matter if I did.
Well, what's your opinion about predestination? I don't have
one. God said, whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
son. Well, what about total depravity? I don't have an opinion about
it. God said, I'm dead in my trespasses and sins. And if God
said I'm dead, then I'm dead. I'm dead. Some people might say,
well, I know God said we're dead in our trespasses and sins, but
clearly He didn't mean that. Here's my take on it. Well, if we're about to hear
my take on it, then we are about to hear some error. We're about
to hear something false. Error comes from not listening
to God's word, but instead, listening to man's opinion on God's word. Did you know that? That's where
all error comes from. With so many differences out
there, How can we know we're right? One man studies God's Word and
says he believes one thing. Another man studies God's Word
and says he believes something else. How can we know we're right? Do you want to know the answer
to that? I do. Am I really one of His? Really. Somebody will say, well, you
know, we all believe differently, but we're all going to be together
in the end. That's not what God's word says. Not at all. That's man's opinion on God's
word. Turn with me over to Matthew
chapter seven. Matthew chapter 7 and verse 13
says, enter ye in at the straight gate for wide is the gate and
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there
be which go in there at. Because straight is the gate
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that
find it. Few there be that find it. Am I really one of his? How can we know? Well, look at
our text with me in Philippians chapter three. Verse three says,
we are the circumcision. What does he mean the circumcision?
He means the people of God's covenant. That's what he means.
God gave Abraham and his seed circumcision. It's a cutting
away of the flesh as a sign, as a token to them that they
were his people, his chosen, his elect, his redeemed. Somebody
might hear that and say, so everybody that's been circumcised by a
doctor is a child of God? No. If fleshly circumcision was
the sign, then no women would be saved, right? Turn over to
Romans chapter 2 with me. Romans chapter 2 verse 28 says,
For he is not a Jew. Christ is the Lion of the tribe
of Judah. Christ is the king of the Jews. And it says, for he is not a
Jew, which is one outwardly. Neither is that circumcision,
which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew, which is one
inwardly. And circumcision is that of the
heart in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not
of men, but of God. God has called his people, the
circumcision. For one reason only. Christ Jesus
came into the world. God was manifest in the flesh. Christ took upon himself the
flesh of a man. And then for the sake of his
people, he was cut off. In his flesh, he was cut off. Separated from God. Go with me
to John chapter 6. John chapter 6 verse 51, the
Lord said, I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the
bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for
the life of the world. The world. Somebody will say,
well, there it is, the world. You say you don't have an opinion,
but you say you believe in limited atonement when God wrote it right
there, the world. What do you have to say about
that? Here's what I have to say about it. I don't have a problem
with that at all. That's my hope of salvation.
Thanks be to God, this gospel goes to the whole world. The
actual Jews think this gospel is only unto the physical nation
of Israel. But the good news is, it's not
just to one nation. It's not just to one tribe. It's
not just to one kindred, one tongue. It's not just to the
Jews. It's to the Gentiles too. That's you and me. Gentiles. I don't have a problem or an
opinion on that at all. I love exactly what he's saying. Exactly what he's saying Go with
me over to John 17 John chapter 17 look at verse
6 Our Lord said, I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest
them me, and they have kept thy word. Verse nine says, I pray
for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou gavest me, for they are thine. Am I really
one of his? When he became flesh, was he
really cut off for me? Isaiah wrote, he was cut off
out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people,
my people, was he stricken. Am I really one of his people? Am I really in his covenant?
Am I really one of the circumcision? I need to know that. Well, turn
with me back over to our text in Philippians chapter three.
Verse three says, for we are the circumcision which worship
God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence
in the flesh. Three things expose sinners as
being the children of God. Three things expose sinners as
being in the covenant of Christ. Three things. Number one, they
worship God in the spirit. Number two, they rejoice in Christ
Jesus. And number three, they have no
confidence in the flesh. Now listen to this, a person
who worships God in the spirit and rejoices in Christ Jesus,
what that means for Jesus to be the Christ, but puts a little bit of confidence
in the flesh. What does that mean? It means
I'm trusting in what I have done. I'm trusting in my works. I'm
trusting that at least I've done this, or at least I've done that
a little bit of confidence in the flesh, a person who worships
God in the spirit and rejoices in Christ Jesus, but puts a little
bit of confidence in the flesh. That person can't have any assurance
that he belongs to Christ. He cannot have any assurance
that he belongs to Christ. Three things expose sinners as
being the children of God. Now listen to this, a person
who worships God in the Spirit and puts no confidence in the
flesh, zero confidence, it's not in man's works, but does
not rejoice in Jesus being the Christ. The Christ, the Messiah,
100% God and 100% man, the God-man. A person who does not rejoice in
Jesus being the Christ can't have any assurance that he belongs
to Christ. And a person who rejoices in
Christ Jesus, a person who says, I believe he's God, and has no
confidence in the flesh, it's not by works, but does not worship God in the
spirit, that person can't have any assurance that he belongs
to Christ. The text Philippians 3 verse
3 says, we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit
and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Now I want to examine myself.
Am I really one of his? I need to know this. I've got
to know the answer to this. How does a person worship God
in the Spirit? How does a sinner do that? Turn
with me over to John chapter four. John chapter four, our Lord says
in verse 22, ye worship ye know not what. We know what we worship
for salvation is of the Jews. Let's start with how a person
can't worship God. He said, you worship, you know,
not what a person can't worship God who has no idea who God is. A person who is happily, blindly
sitting somewhere where lies are being told and the flesh
is being pumped up cannot worship God in the Spirit. Somebody might
say, well, that's a pretty bold statement. Is it? Our Lord just told that woman
at the well, you go to church, but you have no idea what you
worship. I would love for all preachers
who do not preach the Word of God in its entirety, who do not
preach Christ alone, who do not preach grace alone for salvation. I'd love for them to get a hold
of the fact that they preach, but they have no idea what they
worship. This sounds hard, but it's the truth. Our lives are
on the line. We might go meet God today. Somebody
listening to this might be in their car, a car accident, or
should I say on purpose might be for any one of us today. Our
lives are on the line. Our souls are on the line. We're
going to go meet God. I've got to know the truth. I got to know the truth. Some preachers are telling people,
well, we worship the greater good. We push for the goodness
of humanity. We worship God, whoever he or
she may be. Well, listen to what our Lord
said in John 4, verse 22. He said, you worship, you know
not what. We know what we worship for salvation
is of the Jews. But the hour cometh and now is
when the true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit
and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him. God is a
spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth. How does a person worship God
in the Spirit? First of all, he has to know
who God is. Do I know who God is? Do you
know who God is? The God of Scripture? Not the
God of our imagination? Not the God we've made up? Not
the one that we like? The one that doesn't offend us?
God as He has revealed Himself in His Word? Do we know that
God? Not just do we know of Him, do
we know what He's like? Do we know just how holy He really
is? Do we know how strict His justice
really is? Do we know the level of righteousness
He demands to be in His presence? If you do, If you do, do you love all those things? Do you love all those things? The dictionary says, worship
is intense love and admiration. Absolute adoration, adore, I
adore. It means great honor, respect,
reverence, and praise. Worship is thought-consuming.
Worship is affection-consuming. It's your true heart's desire.
Do you worship the one and only creator and ruler of the universe,
God, the actual very God? Worship is humbling. I must bow
you must stand John said and all true believers say with John
he must increase I must decrease If I don't worship the ground
he walks on with my soul in spirit and in truth Then I can't have
any comfort that he has revealed himself to me that He's chosen
me and called me unto Himself. Because any person who sees Him
as He is will bow the knee and worship the ground He walks on.
Go with me back over to Philippians 3. Verse 3 says, We are the circumcision
which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus. Do you know who God is? Christ
Jesus. People will have anybody, anybody
in their mind and in their heart be God, but Jesus Christ. God kills. He made that clear
in his word. God is sovereign. We don't let
him do anything. We bow the knee to whatever he
says. But you tell people that Jesus
is this God. Life and death is in his hands. Salvation is in his hands. He has mercy on whom he will
and whom he will he hardeneth. You tell people their fate, their
life, their hope, their outcome is in His hands? At the mercy
of His hands? You tell people the truth in
God's Word, and they will hate you for it. And they will hate
the God you're telling them about. They say, Jesus wouldn't do that.
Jesus wouldn't put anybody in hell. Well, turn with me over
to John chapter 5. John 5 verse 22 says, for the
Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the
Son. Judgment is coming, and it's
in the hands of the Son of God. Turn with me to Revelation chapter
one. Revelation one, verse one says,
the revelation of Jesus Christ. The revelation of Jesus Christ. Verse 18, he says, I am he that
liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, amen. and have the keys of hell and
death. Call his name Jesus. Call his
name Emmanuel. Because in this man, God is with
us. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
a weak martyr who tried and failed. He is the high king of heaven. High and lifted up. Now, let
me ask you this. As we hear the truth about him,
and that is the truth about him. As we hear the truth about him,
does that cause our hearts to reject Christ Jesus? or rejoice in Christ Jesus. Rejoice means to be happy, to
glory in. We rejoice, don't we? We rejoice
because the actual God, the High Judge of the earth is our help. Happy is he that hath the God
of Jacob for his help. He holds the keys of hell and
death. And if he be for us, who can
be against us? That's something to rejoice over.
We rejoice in him, don't we? Go with me back to Philippians
chapter three. Verse three says, we are the
circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in
Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. No means none. None at all. Not one ounce. No confidence. Confidence means
firm belief. It means trust, assurance, self-reliance. No confidence in the flesh, in
this body, in its ability. I cannot do anything to earn
heaven. I have no confidence in my flesh. No confidence in the purity of
this flesh. This flesh is not worthy to stand
in God's presence. There is nothing good that dwells
in me. No confidence in the flesh. Can we get ourselves to God? No. Are we worthy to come to God? No. Is there anything we can do to
make ourselves acceptable in His sight? No. Where is all of
our confidence? It's in Jesus Christ. That's
where it is. It's in Jesus Christ. The song
says, my hope is built on nothing less. Nothing more, nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame. Don't tell me what a good person
I am. I do want to strive to be kind
to others and be what the world would call a good, upstanding
citizen. I do. But I know that in me,
that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing. Don't tell me,
don't waste my time telling me how good I am and how much God
needs me. My God doesn't need me. My God
is self-sufficient. And He doesn't need a vile sinner
for anything. Don't tell me that, he says in
the song, I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly, completely,
totally lean on Jesus' name. My hope is built on the fact
that he's the savior of sinners. On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand. If I can say that from the depths
of my soul, in truth, worshiping, loving, and adoring God for who
He is, rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ for what He has
done, then based on the Word of God, based on the Word of
God, I'm one of His. That's the best news I know.
And if you can say from the depths of your soul, in truth, worshiping
and loving and adoring God for who He is, rejoicing in the Lord
Jesus Christ for what He's done and based on the Word of God,
you are one of His. You are one of His. And we are
the circumcision which worship God in the spirit, rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Until next Sunday
morning, may the Lord God bless His word. You have been listening
to a message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign
Grace Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m., and 6 o'clock
p.m., Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday
morning at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.