All Things
Rev. Kenneth Redmann
For those seeking a Conservative church in Tampa or a Christian church in Tampa, this sermon reflects on the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ. In Part III of this series on Philippians, Rev. Kenneth Redmann explores:
- What Paul counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
- The warnings found in Isaiah’s vineyard and Jesus’ parable of the tenants.
- What Christ willingly lost for our salvation.
- The lasting hope and inheritance we have in Him.
Part III: Paul’s Letter to the Philippians
4Oct 19PentAE “All Things” Rev. Kenneth Redmann
May the meditations of our hearts and the words of my lips be acceptable to You, O Lord. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Beloved in the Lord, this morning we have Part III of our four-part series on Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi. Today, the Word of God confronts us with a phrase that is both unsettling and comforting, both devastating and life‑giving. It is the phrase Paul uses, inspired by the Holy Spirit, in Philippians 3: “For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (v 8b).
“All things.” It is a phrase that forces us to ask: What would I lose for Christ? What have I clung to instead of Christ? And what did Christ lose for me?
Our readings today—Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard, Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenants, and Paul’s confession and testimonial in Philippians—press this theme upon us with holy urgency.
Counting All Things as Loss for Christ
Last week we introduced Harlyn Kuschel, the author of the People’s Bible Commentary on Philippians. Kuschel notes that Paul begins with a spiritual résumé that, would have impressed any first‑century Jew. Paul lists his heritage, his training, his zeal, his righteousness under the Law. If anyone could claim spiritual achievement, Paul could.
But then comes the earthquake, Paul says, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (Phil 3:7)
And again: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Phil 3:8)
Paul is waging a counter attack against the Judaizers who were tormenting the Christians in Philippi. Please note: the Judaizers claimed to believe in Jesus but they insisted one must also keep certain Laws of Moses to be saved. Luther says that the Judaizers destroy the Gospel by adding works. “The doctrine of the Judaizers was this: Faith in Christ is not enough; works of the Law must be added. This is to lose Christ altogether.” (Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians (1535), LW 26:88)
Paul is not merely saying that Christ is more valuable than other things. Paul is saying that Christ is so valuable that everything else becomes worthless in comparison.
Kuschel emphasizes that Paul’s imprisonment sharpened this conviction. Stripped of freedom, reputation, and safety, Paul realized that Christ alone remained—and Christ alone was enough.
For Paul, “all things” were not just worldly possessions. They were the very things he once believed made him righteous. And now, Paul says they are rubbish—garbage—compared to Christ.
What Are the “All Things” We Cling To?
Beloved in the Lord, I need to ask, “What are the ‘all things’ we cling to? What do we secretly believe makes us righteous? Our reputation? Our accomplishments? Our moral record? Our theological correctness? Our service? Our family heritage?”
Paul says: All of it must die. All of it must be counted as loss. All of it must be surrendered.
Not because these things are evil, in and of itself, but because none of them can save.
Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard
Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard is a sad and graphic depiction of what happens when God’s people refuse to surrender all things to Him. God planted Israel with care—“He dug it and cleared it of stones,” “He built a watchtower,” “He hewed out a wine vat.” He gave His Chosen People all things needed for faith and life.
But when He looked for grapes, He found only wild grapes.
And so God said: “I will remove its hedge… I will break down its wall… I will make it a waste.” (Isa 5:5–6)
Israel loses all things—protection, blessing, fruitfulness—because they refused the one thing needed: faithfulness to the Lord.
Luther often preached that Israel’s downfall was not ignorance but arrogance. They believed they could keep God’s blessings while rejecting God’s Word. They wanted the vineyard without the Vinedresser.
Isaiah warns us: If we cling to our own righteousness, our own achievements, our own identity, we will lose all things.
Jesus’ Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Jesus’ parable intensifies the warning. The tenants were entrusted with a vineyard—again, all things needed for life and fruitfulness. But when the owner sent servants to collect fruit, they beat, stoned, and killed them. Finally the master sent his son.
You know what happened. They killed him too.
The Bible says: “He [the master] will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants.” (Matt 21:41)
They lose all things—the vineyard, the blessing, the inheritance—because they rejected the Son.
C.F.W. Walther puts it this way, “He who rejects Christ must bear the full weight of the Law’s curse. There is no wrath more dreadful than the wrath that falls on those who despise the Gospel.” (C. F. W. Walther, Law & Gospel, Thesis VIII)
But the parable also prepares us for the Gospel. Because the Son who is killed becomes the cornerstone. The One who loses all things becomes the foundation of all things ETERNAL!
Christ Lost All Things for Our Salvation
Thus we reach the heart of the Gospel. Paul says he lost all things for Christ. Israel lost all things because of unbelief. The tenants lost all things because they killed the Son.
But Christ—Christ alone—lost all things willingly, lovingly, savingly.
He lost His glory, taking the form of a servant. He lost His honor, being mocked and rejected. He lost His friends, abandoned by all. He lost His comfort, sweating, as it were, drops of blood in Gethsemane. He lost His dignity, spit upon, stripped and beaten. He lost His strength, collapsing under the weight of the cross. He lost His life, crucified for sinners. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23.34 ESV).
Jesus lost all things so that you and I might gain all things.
Luther says that Christ became the greatest sinner—not by committing sin, but by bearing the sin of all—so that we might become the righteousness of God. Hear the words of Luther from his sermon on the Baptism of Jesus:
“He is the greatest sinner, who has and bears the sin of the world… He thus becomes a great sinner—indeed, the greatest sinner of all and the only sinner on earth—so that there is no other.” (https://witness.lcms.org/2017/christ-becomes-greatest-sinner/?utm_source=copilot.com)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, did you hear that? Jesus became the “only sinner on earth” so that you and I are no longer counted as sinners in God’s eyes. How amazing is that?
Gaining Christ and Pressing On Toward the Goal
For Paul, Christ does not merely replace what Paul lost. Christ becomes Paul’s treasure, Paul’s righteousness, Paul’s life. Therefore, Paul says: “That I may gain Christ and be found in Him.” (Phil 3:8–9)
And then Paul says something astonishing: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:14)
Now be careful here! It sounds like we must do something for our salvation. To preserve our salvation. To add to what Christ has done for our salvation. No! Luther says;
“We do not become righteous by doing righteous deeds, but having been made righteous, we do righteous deeds.” (Martin Luther, Disputation Concerning Justification (1536), LW 34:152)
Paul presses on not because he is strong, but because Christ is strong in him. Kuschel notes that Paul’s imprisonment sharpened his focus on the resurrection. The loss of all earthly things made the heavenly prize shine brighter.
That’s the thing about our Christian journey: We lose all things that cannot save. But we gain Christ who saves completely. And then Christ begins His work in us. Hear the Word of the Lord: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2.10 ESV).
Christ shapes us. He forms us. He conforms us to His image. He teaches us to count all things as loss. He teaches us to press on. He teaches us to live by faith.
If You Have Christ, You Have All Things
Beloved in the Lord, we may lose earthly things—status, comfort, reputation, possessions. We may lose things we once thought essential. We may lose things we never wanted to surrender.
But you will never lose Christ. And if you have Christ, you have all things.
The vineyard is yours. The inheritance is yours. The resurrection is yours. The righteousness of Christ is yours. The upward call is yours. The kingdom is yours.
All this because Christ Himself is yours.
God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
And the peace of God that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Find Hope and Fellowship in Christ
Christ’s promises give us hope through every earthly loss. If you are looking for a Conservative church in Tampa or a Christian church in Tampa, we invite you to join us for worship, hear God’s Word, and grow in faith alongside a caring congregation.
A Christian Family Who Cares for You!