Here's an interesting subject
for us today, a question. Who are the true people of God? Now, there have been a lot of
arguments and debates on that issue, on that subject. Who are
the true people of God? Who makes up the true Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Over here in the book of Philippians,
chapter 3, verse 3, Paul, the apostle, writing under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, For all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
All Scripture is God-breathed. And Paul writes in Philippians
3, verse 3, we are the true circumcision. We are the true people of God.
And he gives us three marks of those people, three marks of
the true circumcision. He said we worship God in the
Spirit. Secondly, we rejoice in Jesus
Christ. And thirdly, we have no confidence
in the flesh. We are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit, who rejoice in Jesus Christ, and
who have no confidence in the flesh. Now, as I say, this subject,
this question has been argued and debated and fought over,
and blood has been shed over this subject, and families have
been divided. Who are the true people of God?
makes up the true church of God. And the Jews of old, Israel of
old, they believed that they were the true people of God because
they had the right heritage. Well, they even said to the master,
they said to the Lord Jesus himself, we have Abraham to our father.
We don't need you, and we don't need your preaching, and we don't
need your commandments. We have Abraham. That's sufficient.
Abraham is our father. We have Abraham and Jacob. and David, and Joseph, and we
don't need anyone else. That was their argument for being
the true people of God, was their heritage. And then the ceremonialists,
the religious ceremonialists, they had their circumcision,
and they had their Sabbath and Holy Days, and they had their
sacrifices, and they didn't need Christ. They rejected Him and
turned thumbs down on Him because They trusted that they were the
true Church of God and the true people of God because they had
the ceremonies. They had what Moses taught. They
had all of these things that Moses laid down for the Jewish
people to practice. All the holy days and feast days
and ceremonies and, you know, ceremonies like Lent and Good
Friday and all of these different ceremonies that people observe
today, they had their ceremonies. And they felt that they were
All right, they were the people of God because they took part
in these ceremonies. And they rested in this. And
then there was the legalist. He boasted in his morality. He
boasted in his good works. He, like the Pharisee in the
temple, God, I thank you. And he was sincere in this matter.
I thank you. I'm not like other men. He didn't
think he was. And to some degree, he wasn't.
And in many ways, he wasn't. He fasted and prayed and tithed
and gave alms. And he was not an adulterer.
He was not an extortioner. And he wasn't this, that, and
the other. That was his hope. He was one of the people of God
because he did not do certain things and did do other things.
That made him a member of God's family. That's what he thought.
But Christ said he wasn't. And then there was the fundamentalist
who boasted in his doctrine. He studied the scriptures. He
searched the scriptures. He was a theologian. He was orthodox
in every jot and tittle. He knew the law. He knew the
law. Christ said of these people,
He said, you search the Scriptures. You do search the Scriptures.
I know that you do. For in them you think you have
eternal life. You think the Scriptures and
your knowledge of the Scriptures make you a part of the family
of God, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and make you one
of the people of God. But He says, where you're missing
it, is the Scriptures testify of me. And you will not come
to me that you really might have life. Life is not in the Bible,
it's in Christ. The Bible is given to point us
to Christ. And then there's the modern religionist. And he thinks
that because he's made a religious profession that he's a member
of God's church. He's a member of the family of
God. He is considered among the people of God because he has
made a religious profession. And after all, he's affiliated
with a church. He's either a Baptist, or a Methodist,
or a Presbyterian, or a Episcopalian, or a Catholic. He's something,
but he's not a heathen. He's a church member, and he's
made his decision. He doesn't give much concern
to it, and much thought to it, and doesn't walk with God, and
doesn't have a spirit within him that loves God, but he has
made his commitment. And consequently, he's a member
of the family of God. But Paul's description of the
true church, true circumcision, or that for which circumcision
was intended, Paul's description of it is quite different from
these things that I've just said, I've just stated. Paul said,
we are the people of God. We are the true circumcision,
that indeed for which circumcision was intended, that of the spirit
and not the flesh. You see, The circumcision of
the Old Testament was in the form. True circumcision is of
the heart, of the spirit. The Old Testament circumcision
was in the flesh. This is in the heart. And what
was done by men and this true circumcision is done by God.
It's a heart work. It's a renting of the heart.
It's a breaking of the heart. It's a regeneration of the heart.
And Paul says, we are the true people of God And here are three
evidences. We worship God in the Spirit. We rejoice in Jesus Christ. And we have no confidence in
the flesh. That's God's Word. Nothing is said there of heritage.
Nothing is said there of Sabbath days and holy days and feast
days and ceremonies. Nothing is said there of our
morality and good works. Nothing is said there of our
orthodoxy or theology. Nothing is said there of religious
experiences and feelings and decisions and professions and
commitments and all of these other things. We worship God
in the Spirit. And we rejoice in Jesus Christ. And we have no confidence in
the flesh. Now, let's take these one at
a time, these evidences, these marks of the true circumcision,
the true people of God. Let's take them one at a time.
And let's examine them. And the text now, if you want
to go back to it, if I've got your attention at last, and you
want to go back to the text, turn to Philippians 3, verse
3. That's where you find this scripture.
The first mark of the true believer, he is known by his worship. He
worships God, not in form, not in fashion, not in flesh, in
spirit. He worships God in the spirit.
Our Lord was talking to a woman, a Samaritan woman at the well.
You remember the story? And she said, our fathers worshiped
in this mountain. Now, you Jews say we're supposed
to worship down there in Jerusalem. And our Lord looked at her and
he said, woman, you worship. You go through the form of worship.
But you don't know what you worship. You don't know what you worship.
The hours coming and now is, this is John 4, 22 through 24. The hours coming and now is when
true worshipers, shall worship God in spirit and in truth. For such the Father desires to
worship Him. God is a spirit, and they that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth, must worship
Him. They who worship Him must worship
Him in spirit and truth. How do you build God a house?
Now, I want you to think about that. How do you build God a
house? We keep talking about God's house. And I know the scripture
refers to that, but it doesn't mean what we mean. Why, the heaven
of heavens won't contain him. The earth is his footstool. He
said to Solomon, how are you going to build me a house? How
is the living God going to dwell in a house? Let me ask you something
else. What material substance can we
bring to God who made all things? You know, some of you may have
wealthy friends, very wealthy friends. Did you ever try to
buy a birthday present for one of them with a limited income? You say, what in the world can
I get him? He's got everything. Now, what do I bring God materially? Who has everything? Who made
everything? What are words to him who made the tongue? What
are candles? We stand around burning candles
and acting like we're worshiping. What are candles to him who made
the sun and the moon and the star? We form a little processional
of a thousand people, and we march down the street. What are
processionals to Him before whom the whole world, all nations,
are but a drop in the bucket? A drop in the bucket. If you want to worship God, I'll
tell you this. God is a spirit, and they that
worship God worship Him in spirit, not with outward form and bodily
exercise and going through the motions, because you can do all
that and be nine million miles away from worshiping God. But
they that worship God, worship Him in spirit and truth. God
is a spirit. Paul wrote this in Romans 1-9,
God is my witness, whom I worship and serve in my spirit. How do
you worship God in the spirit? Well, let's think about it a
moment. Here are about six or seven things that you might consider.
Worshipping God in the spirit is worshiping God with a spirit
of reverence and fear Holy reverence and fear holy and reverent is
his name How awesome and holy is the name of God? Hallowed
be thy name, you know David wrote in Psalm 89 verse 6 7 God is
greatly to be feared and To be had in reverence of all them
that are about him God, the God of creation, the God of sovereignty,
the God of the universe, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, is greatly to be feared and to be had in reverence by
all them that are about him. And then the true believer worships
God with a spirit of praise. When David closed the book of
Psalms, Psalm 150, the last Psalm, he says, let everything that
hath breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let everything
that hath breath. We worship God with a spirit
of praise and then with a spirit of thanksgiving. I like the 100th
Psalm. Make a joyful noise unto the
Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness.
But that verse 5 and 6 goes like this. Enter into his presence
with thanksgiving and enter his courts with praise. Be thankful
unto him for the Lord is good. His mercy and truth endureth
to all generations. Be thankful. Enter his presence
with thanksgiving. Did you start this day murmuring,
complaining, finding fault? Most people do. This is the day
the Lord hath made. I'll rejoice and be glad therein. Enter his presence. I wonder,
what is your spirit and attitude even as you drive to that place
you call a church on Sunday morning? How do you enter the presence
of the Lord? When you come into the church building in a service
of worship, What's your spirit and attitude? Are you entering
his presence with reverence and fear and the spirit of praise
and the spirit of worship and the spirit of thanksgiving? Are
you thinking about yourself and thinking about your conflicts
with other people? The people of God are those who
worship God in spirit, in the spirit of humility. When I consider
the heavens the work of thy hands, what is man that thou art mindful
of him? David said, O God, who am I and
what is my house that you should show mercy to me? We need to
let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus, who
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself
of no reputation, took upon himself the form of a servant, and was
made obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The spirit
of humility. Oh, how pride rules and reigns
in these sinful hearts. God hates pride. You know what
God hates more than anything else? Pride. Where do I find that? The book
of Proverbs says six things God hates. Yeah, seven are abomination
to Him. The first one He names, a proud
look. God hates pride more than anything
else. And I guess we've got more of that than we've got anything
else. I guess it's the granddaddy of all sin. Pride goeth before
destruction. and a haughty spirit before the
fall." We need to come before God with a spirit of submission.
Samuel came to Eli. The old prophet of God said,
Samuel, what did God say to you? And Samuel said, I'd rather not
say if you don't mind. And Eli said, oh, I do mind.
You tell me what God said to you. And finally Samuel said,
well, Eli, God said that your sons have violated his word and
law, and he's going to kill them. And because you didn't discipline
your sons, you didn't deal with them, God's going to deal with
them. And Eli, you know what he said? I want you to listen
to this submission. Well, he said, it's the Lord.
Let him do what he will. That's worship. And then Job,
when everything had been swept away, he was rich, now he was
poor, he was a family man, now he had no one. He was a famous
man, and now he was despised and laughed at even by the children,
sitting there on the ash heap, scraping the boils. He was a
healthy man, and now he was a dying man. And do you know what he
said? He rent his clothes and wept
and worshiped God, and he said, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
That's worship. See, that's more than walking
an aisle, that's more than shaking a hand, that's more than deciding
to go to heaven. That's more than claiming to believe some
doctrine. That's a God-given spirit of worship. That's a contrite
spirit in a broken heart. That's a work of grace. That's
not produced by the flesh. God produced that. Job, my servant,
he said, is a righteous man. You won't find another one like
him. And then this thing of worship is a spirit of faith. You know
what the Bible says in Hebrews 13, 6? Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is. There's no coming to God without
faith. No coming to God. It doesn't say it's hard to come
to God or difficult to come to God. It's impossible to come
to God without faith. He won't receive you. Let not
that man think he'll receive anything of God. Let him ask
in faith. Believe him. Now, this thing
of worship's a spirit of faith, and then last of all, it's a
spirit of love. Listen to this verse in 1 Corinthians
16, 22. If any man love not our Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha, that is, accursed
when Jesus comes. That's how serious it is. That's
how serious it is. The two great commandments, thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, and
strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. We are
the true people of God who worship God in spirit. That's first thing, worship God
in spirit, not play church, who worship God in spirit. And in
truth, I'm not left to my imagination and my carnal thoughts about
God, He's revealed. God is revealed in His Word.
God is revealed in His Son. God is revealed by His Spirit.
I'm not left to my imagination. God said, you thoughtest I was
altogether such a one as thyself. I'm not left to my carnal thoughts
about God. I'm taught the truth of God by
His Word. Sanctify them through thy Word.
Thy Word is truth. By His Son, who said, I am the
way, the truth, and the life. He shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you free by His Spirit, who is called
by our Master the Spirit of truth. And when He, the Spirit of truth,
is come, He will guide you into all truth, for He shall take
the things of mine and show them to you. He'll not speak of Himself.
He shall not glorify Himself, but He shall glorify me. So we
worship God, the God of creation, the God of sovereignty, The God
of power, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
God of redemption, the God of justice and righteousness, we
worship Him in spirit. And then secondly, the second
mark, we are the people of God who rejoice in Christ Jesus. Now, what is this rejoicing in
Christ Jesus? Well, it's such a degree of joy
that it amounts to glorification. It amounts to an exaltation.
It amounts to an exuberance, an adoration, and a worship.
And all this we give to our Lord Jesus Christ. We glory not in
ourselves or in our works or in our flesh. We glory in Jesus
Christ our Lord. Wherefore, God hath highly exalted
him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue
should confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth. Christ
is Lord. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We rejoice
in Christ Jesus three things here. Now listen to me. We rejoice
in the person of Christ, who He is. He's the surety of the
eternal covenant. He is the God-man. He is God
incarnate in human flesh. God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself. The angel said that holy thing
which is in Mary's womb is conceived of the Holy Spirit and is the
Son of God. Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 7.14,
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name Immanuel, God with us. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And all things were made by Him. Without Him was not anything
made that was made. And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. Who is Jesus Christ? He's God
in human flesh. He said, I and my Father are
one. God the Father to the Son said, Thy throne, O God, is forever.
Thomas fell down at his feet and said, my Lord and my God,
Jesus, oh, how sweet the name. Jesus, every day the same. Jesus, let all saints proclaim
his worthy name forever. We rejoice in the person of Jesus
Christ. Secondly, we rejoice in the offices. That's right, the offices of
Christ, the anointed, appointed offices of Jesus Christ. He's
the eternal surety of an everlasting covenant. You know what a surety
is? It's a guarantor. If you sign
a note, borrow money at the bank, someone goes down and signs as
your surety, that means they have taken upon themselves the
obligation of this note, whether you pay it or don't pay it. Jesus Christ became our surety
of an eternal covenant, and we were given to Him by the Father
in eternity past. He's not only our surety, but
He's our Savior. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
the angel said, for he shall save his people from their sins. He's not only our Savior, but
he's our Mediator. You know what a Mediator is?
A go-between, an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another.
And he's our Mediator with the Father. And he pleads not our
righteousness and works and merit. He pleads his blood. He died
for our sins. He was wounded for our transgressions.
By his stripes we're healed. He died that God might be just
and justify folks like you and me. And he pleads for us, he
prays for us, he intercedes for us at the right hand of God.
He's not only our mediator, he's our high priest. He enables us
to come into the presence of God. Every believer is a priest. That's what Scripture said. Every
believer is a saint. We're sanctified in Christ Jesus. Every believer is a priest. Ordained
a priest, made a priest by God Almighty ought to offer sacrifices
of love and praise to God. You don't need anybody between
you and God but Christ. And seeing we have such a high
priest, let us come boldly before the throne of grace. Come boldly,
me and you. God says you come yourself to
the very throne of grace and find mercy to help and grace
to help in time of need. Our Lord taught us to pray, our
Father which art in heaven, not our father confessor, not our
father teacher, our Father which art in heaven. Every believer
comes boldly. You see, when Christ died on
the cross, he went the veil in two. He destroyed the holy of
holies on earth made with hands. He entered into the presence
of God himself with his own blood, not with a human Sacrificed,
not with a human ceremony, with His blood and made atonement
for our soul. We rejoice in Christ and we rejoice
also in the work of Christ. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus
who has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. It was His love for me that nailed
Him to the tree to die in agony for all my sins. For my own guilt
and blame, the blessed Savior came, willing to bear the shame
of all my sins. Oh, what a Savior is mine. In Him, God's mercies combine. His love can never decline. And
you know what? He loves me. We rejoice in Christ
Jesus. Not in anyone but Christ Jesus. In His person, in His offices,
in His work. The true people of God. And we
have no confidence in the flesh. Now, to understand what this
means, you have to consider three things. When the word flesh is
used in the Word of God, it takes one of three directions. First
of all, the word flesh in the Scriptures means this, the material
and physical privileges and external luxuries which belong to this
world. For example, wealth and honor and strength and fame and
power and all these things that the earth affords and the earth
gives. That's the flesh. In Jeremiah
9, 23, it says, Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory
in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might.
Let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that
gloweth glory in this, that he understands and knoweth me, that
I am the Lord. What shall it profit a man to
gain the whole world and lose his soul? And then flesh in the
scripture refers to the outward duties of religion. We have no
confidence in the flesh. We have no confidence in the
duties of religion. Paul said, if any man may have
confidence in the flesh, I more. I'm a Pharisee, all these other
things, but I count this but rubbish. And then the other flesh
is this flesh right here. I have no confidence in myself.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and his righteousness. I don't trust myself to hold
out, I trust him to hold. I don't trust myself to keep
myself, I trust Him to keep me. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and His righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. No confidence in the flesh.
Worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, no confidence
in the flesh.