Turn with me back to Philippians chapter 3. Philippians 3. I have a Sunday morning message on Wednesday night. I generally strive to have a Wednesday night message on Wednesday night. The Lord gave me a Sunday morning message on Wednesday night. And I tried to save it for Sunday morning, but the Lord just wouldn't let me do it. And it could be that Sunday morning doesn't come for somebody. And maybe we need this warning tonight. I'm very burdened by this. I'm very sincere in this delivery. But I pray that the Lord will will really tune us to it. I really do pray he will tune us to this.

This is something that some. No, some most definitely no. And. Again, let me just maybe I can deliver this in a Wednesday night message kind of way. All right. I've got a Sunday morning message, but I really just want to. To get candid and talk with you, but. This is so right here, this is so that what I'm about to what we're about to look at, this is something that some know.

And this is something that some think they know, but it hasn't hit home yet. And it could be from the oldest to the youngest. We could have some young kids who need to hear this. We could have some, some not so young kids who need to hear this. Um, some know it, some think they know it, but it just hasn't, it hasn't reached them yet.

Some may have never heard this before. Who knows? Somebody may be on the internet right now. He's never heard this before. Never realized this before, but I want to encourage all of us to ask the Lord to give a special attention to this. And I want to encourage none of us to assume that we already know this. I pray the Lord will really teach us something that is absolutely critical to eternal life.

And that something is this right here. If you look with me at Philippians 3 verse 7 says, But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. What things were gain to me, Those I counted loss for Christ. The end goal of this message is that all of us might lose something tonight. That's my prayer. I pray every soul here will be caused by God to let go of something realizing that not only is it not beneficial to us, it actually creates loss.

It actually creates harm. And for the sake of being as clear as I possibly can, I'm gonna tell you what three of those things are that we're gonna focus on, which really it's one thing. This is one thing, and I'm dividing it into three words so we can cover all of our bases. And just really give me time here to prove this from the word.

But the three things I want to focus on tonight that need to be counted loss are what the world calls church, what the world calls religion, and what the world calls the ministry. And all of that can be summed up by saying idolatry, we could use the word idolatry, we could say false religion, or we could say self-righteousness. People believe they have a righteousness, and that means something worthy of being considered righteous, worthy of being considered good or valuable by God. People believe they have a righteousness based on what they see in themselves.

And let me bring this into this room, okay? Don't think in terms of the world out there. Let's bring it into this room right here. When I was a young man, I sat under the true gospel of Christ, but somehow concocted my own false religion. I had things that I thought were critical and they weren't. And I had things that I didn't put much emphasis on that was life and death. People believe they have a righteousness before God based on what they see in themselves. And this is what men and women want to see in themselves.

All right, this is what people want to see in themselves to believe that they are in good standing with God. They want to see a concern for religion. Something in here that has a concern for religion that not only causes them to be in church, but causes them to promote the ministry of Christianity and salvation. Men and women naturally think that if there is a reverence for religion, that's good. You know, a lot of people are religious who don't go to church. And people think that, you know, if they have a reverence for religion, that's good.

But if it's one that causes them to make the effort to go to church, that's better. And if it's one that actually motivates them to really go out and openly, actively promote sinners being saved, they've arrived. But this is what I want to clearly declare tonight.

Being in religion is absolutely useless. Being in church does nothing for nobody. And being in the ministry, and I'll explain what I mean by that, but being in the ministry, it doesn't count for anything with God. Nothing. The only hope that any and every soul on this earth has of being found in God's favor and inheriting eternal life is we must be in Christ. We must be in Christ.

You say, well, Gabe, isn't that the same thing? No, it's not. It is not. You say, well, Gabe, you're in the ministry. Religion is literally your job. You're in church every week. And to that I would say, humanly speaking, that's true. But none of those things have any bearing on my salvation. My only hope of being saved is that I might be found in Christ. That's it. That's it. Now, a soul in Christ, I want to be very clear about this. You know, Gabe, it sounds like you're encouraging people not to go to church.

A soul in Christ will have great reverence for Christ. That soul will want to gather with the other saints in Christ. That won't even be an issue. And that soul will have a desire to tell others what the Lord Jesus Christ, what great things the Lord Jesus Christ has done for him or her. But the entire focus and concern of that soul will be being in Christ. Being in Christ.

Life or death, heaven or hell, depends on the difference of being in religion or what people call in church. Got to be in church. Time to get in church. Got to get back to church. Life and death is the difference in being in church and being in Christ. Being in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe very strongly in my heart.

Somebody, and I actually hope somebody is saying, I don't follow what you mean. I don't understand what you're saying. And to that, I would say no one does until God reveals it to them. Nobody understands this until God reveals it. And I would encourage you to ask the Lord to reveal it. If God is going to reveal this to a man or a woman, he will reveal it by his word. He will reveal it in and through his word.

So I want to take a minute and let's see this in the word, starting right here with Philippians chapter three. Verse one says, finally, my brethren rejoice in the Lord, not rejoice in the fact that you've turned over a new leaf, Not rejoice in the fact that you see less sin in yourself? Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you. To me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Beware of dogs. Beware of dogs. The word dogs translates a man of impure mind. And by the reference given right here, the scripture clarifies the word dogs to be false preachers. False preachers. If you have a margin in your Bible, mine says Isaiah 56 verse 10. Turn over to Isaiah 56. This is concerning false religion and false preachers. The heading at the top of my page says the Jews' idolatry. Verse nine, Isaiah 56 verse nine says, all ye beasts of the field come to devour. Yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen, and that's the watchmen of false religion, the watchmen of lies, Those who stand in pulpits and claim to be watchmen, what we're about to read is they are no watchmen at all.

Verse 10, his watchmen are blind. They are all ignorant. They are all dumb dogs, mute. Dumb, mute dogs. Verse 10 says they cannot bark. They cannot bark. They are sleeping. My margin for the word sleeping says dreaming or talking in their sleep. They're talking in their sleep. That's false religion. They're just talking in their sleep. They're sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

They will not warn men and women of the wrath and the danger that's coming because they can't. And again, let me just candidly say, I know this is why I'm so burdened about it. Wrath and danger is coming. Just because you are inside these four walls does not make you safe.

And these false preachers, they cannot bark, they cannot warn, they have no sight, they have no knowledge, therefore they have nothing to say. They have nothing to say. Verse 11, yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough. Everything they do, they just consume it on themselves. Everything they do is for man's glory. They can never have enough.

And they are shepherds that cannot understand. They cannot understand God's word. They cannot understand God's way, God's will, God's purpose, God's work. Why? Because it hasn't been revealed to them. Verse 11, they all look to their own way. Everyone for his gain from his quarter.

This is false religion. Man's gain, man's way, man's work, man's will. He said, when you hear that, you're in idolatry. And not only will that idolatry do you no good at all, it'll bring much harm to you. Just being in church can bring much harm to someone. Gabe, I don't understand what you're saying.

Ask the Lord to reveal it to you. Verse 12, come ye say they, I will fetch wine. We will fill ourselves with strong drink and tomorrow shall be as this day and much more abundant. Come, there's no reason to fear. God is happy with you. He has a wonderful plan for your life. Oh, it's just one big party. Eat, drink, and be merry. In Jeremiah 23, the Lord said, when did I say that? When did I say that? We don't have time to go through Jeremiah 23, but that's, That'll show you the danger and harm of false religion. Go back to Philippians 3. Verse 1 says, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you.

To me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers. Is he talking about sinners? Well, yeah, everybody's a sinner. and you can beware of sinners too, but he's talking about false preachers who lie to men and women, telling them that their good works will get them to heaven. It's not so. Our works are evil works performed by evil workers. There's only one worker of good, and that's God Almighty, Father, Son, and Spirit, seen in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse two says, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

That means a mutilator of God's word. Verse three, for we are the circumcision. We're God's elect. We're God's chosen people, which worship God in the spirit. and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. He said God's people are not even looking to their flesh. Why? Because there's no salvation in their flesh. It's in Christ alone. It's in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

Verse four, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal, persecuting the church. He said, I was in church.

I spent my whole life in church. And that's what I do not want here. I don't want anybody inside this room to spend their whole life in church. Don't do it. He said, I spent my whole life in church. I was born in the right place. I grew up in the right family. There's some, you know, earthly speaking, humanly speaking, we've got some good families here. I did all the right things. He said at the end of verse six, touching the righteousness, which is in the law, blameless. You want to talk about an obedient child. He said, I was obedient. I was a good, fine Christian boy in church. The only problem was, he's saying here, I wasn't in Christ. I wasn't in Christ. Ask the Apostle Paul, can a person be in church and not be in Christ?

He would say, you better believe it, that was me. That was me. Turn over to Galatians 1. Galatians chapter 1. Verse 13, he said, for you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion. Our Lord said salvation is of the Jews. And he said, you have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews religion, how that beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God and wasted it and profited in the Jews religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. He said, I was in religion and I succeeded.

I excelled in religion, but I wasn't in Christ. Wasn't in Christ. Verse 15, he said, but when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, he revealed his Son in me. Paul said, being in church without Christ didn't do me a bit of good. Being in religion without Christ didn't do me a bit of good. Having a zeal to go out and be in the ministry without Christ, not only will it not do a man or a woman any good, it'll bring much harm.

Go over to Matthew 7. Verse 21, it says, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?

And I want to bring our attention to in thy name. That's the critical part of this. And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works, and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

They said, Lord, we were in the ministry. We were in the ministry. We preached in the name of Jesus Christ. We cast devils out of people in the name of Jesus Christ. We did many wonderful humanitarian works in the name of Jesus. We were coming with the banner of Jesus Christ. And the Lord said, yeah, but you weren't in Christ. You were not in Christ. Therefore, every single thing you did in his name was iniquity. It was iniquity.

So this is serious, this is so serious. Being in the ministry, and I understand I'm in the ministry, I'm a pastor, but I mean, just the ministry of ministering, whatever, I don't wanna discourage anybody from any desire to aid in the ministry. You know me.

But if we're gonna put stock in it for favor from God, don't get in the ministry. Being in the ministry is not being in Christ. And if God will reveal this to us, it'll cause us to realize that there are many people in the ministry who are not in Christ. And that ministry is not going to do a bit of good. It's going to bring great harm to them. Now, how does a person get in Christ? How does a person get in Christ? Turn over to 1 Corinthians 1. Hopefully, from this we will see the need to put the focus on Christ. How does a person get in Christ?

1 Corinthians 1, verse 26, it says, For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. That kind of makes me want to be a nothing and a nobody and not that smart. While everybody else in religion is trying to prove their wisdom and prove their, you know, status and prove their, I think I'd kind of like to just dumb down. But verse 27 says, God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are you in Christ Jesus. I love that line. who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That's everything we need. That according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Being in Christ is not the work of man. It's the work of God. It's not man's decision to be in Christ. It was God's decision on who he chose to place in Christ. And every soul that he chose and placed, he did that choosing and that placing before the foundation of the world. That decision and that work is finished.

So how can I know if I'm included in it? How can I know if he chose me and he placed me in Christ? How can I know if I am in the salvation that is in Christ? Now let me just give you the culmination, okay? This is it. It will be evidenced in this way. How can I know if I am in Christ? How can I know if God chose me and placed me in Christ? Here's the answer. It will be evidenced in this way.

Go back to Philippians 3. The apostle Paul is our pattern. He is our pattern, it will be evidenced in this way. Philippians 3 verse 7 says, but what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Verse 8, he said, yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss. For the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things.

When a man is in Christ, he doesn't add Christ to his own worldly knowledge and opinions of religion. He doesn't just tweak some things. He gets rid of every bit of it. He gets rid of every bit of it. Paul said, I have lost all things. What do you mean you've lost all things, Paul? What have you lost? Well, I lost my obedience to the law. I thought I was obeying the law. And come to find out, I never did actually obey the law. You realize how many people think they're obeying the law? What'd you lose, Paul?

Well, I lost all those good deeds that I had stacked up. All the good deeds I thought I'd done. I had this whole pile of good deeds. All of these righteousnesses. And as it turns out, there's none that do with good. No, not one. I lost my self-righteousness. I lost the whole false foundation I thought I was standing on, the whole thing crumbled out from under me. I lost everything that I thought would recommend me to God, everything. But he said, it's okay because now I count every bit of it dung anyway. Verse eight, yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung. What is dung? We could get real crude and you know, no reason to say bad words. But you know what dung is. And Paul said, that's what my religion was. That's what all this religion was.

I'll just get a little bit crude. He said, it was crap. That's all it was. All of that false religion, everything I thought I was doing for God, I now realize it was just dung. I willingly threw, I was happy to throw that away. I gladly lost that. What used to be considered gain to me and value to me and riches to me, all of a sudden it turned to dung in my hands. And I counted it all loss.

Verse eight, yea, doubtless I count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him. Paul said that's it. That's all I need. That is all I need. How can a man or a woman know if he or she has been placed in Christ? Here's how we can know. Christ will be all that man or woman needs. Christ will be all the man or woman needs. Being in Christ will be the only hope of glory that man or woman has. It will be Christ and nothing else. Not my work, but His. Not my life, but His. Not my sacrifice, but His. That's what religion thinks it needs to do. Got to make all these sacrifices. You got to give up everything that you like in the world. It's not my sacrifice, it's His.

The end of verse 8, he said, that I may win Christ and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know Him. In the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. He said that's it. His life, his death, his sacrifice, his blood, his payment. His glory, that's it, that is it.

You know, a baby in the womb, we're talking about being in Christ and I'm done, but a baby in the womb, if that baby could know something, what would that baby know? It would know the womb. If that baby could see something, what would that baby see? It would see the womb.

Well, that's how it is in Christ. The only thing a sinner in Christ knows is Christ. I can't tell you how often I'm telling people, I don't know. You know, people ask me some hard question. I don't know. The only thing a sinner in Christ knows is Christ. Paul said, I've determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. The only thing a sinner in Christ sees is Christ. A person in religion sees religion. But a person in Christ sees Christ.

He is our satisfaction to God by his life. He's our satisfaction to the law by his death. He is our all and in all. He's everything. A person who's been caused to see that is in Christ. A person's in Christ and that person will know it. That person will know who did the work and who gets the glory. This world is full of religious organizations. It's full of churches and ministries.

People will make a ministry out of anything. They'll decide that they want to start making money selling t-shirts, so they'll start a t-shirt ministry. Or they'll start a we'll build you a website ministry. You still have to pay them. I found out yesterday there's a group of lawyers that has started a Christian lawyer ministry suing people for God. They'll make a ministry out of anything. And I just want people to know that that ministry is not going to do you any good. It's just not going to do you any good.

The basis of every one of those is who they are, what they're doing. The basis of a child of God in Christ is who he is and what he has done. He did all the work in salvation. He gets all the glory in it. May God cause us to let go of everything that's not Christ. Everything that's not Christ. Just let us win Christ and be found in him. Amen.