After All, It’s Only Temporary - Message given 3/4/07
Let us pray: Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give us an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give us an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. I pray that each heart here be open to your word this morning and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
Today’s Scripture lesson is one that’s a bit difficult to preach. Paul is writing to his friends in the church at Philippi, and he makes a point of putting down fellow Christians. That’s always been a difficult area for me. It was probably difficult for Paul too; but he had to correct them. The future of the Christian church was at stake. But he doesn’t stop there; he continues to talk about good things as well. Let’s hear what Paul has to say to the Philippians and to us:
Philippians 3:17-4:1 NLT
17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. 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. 21 He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere. 4:1 Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends.
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
Paul skips around so much in this passage that it can be difficult to understand the point. For that reason, it helps me to look at his message in piece parts.
The first part says, “17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.” On the face of it, this sounds a bit arrogant to me, even if Paul was the Philippians’ spiritual leader. I’ll be the first to admit that pastors ought to live good and Godly lives that are worthy of imitation. The problem is that pastors are people just like everyone else, and we have our own feet of clay. That’s why I tell you frequently that you need to follow Jesus, not your pastor. Sooner or later human foibles will get involved, and your pastor, especially this one, will reveal an all too human nature. But Paul wasn’t really setting himself up as a paragon of virtue. In fact he was doing just the opposite.
Paul was setting up his behavior in opposition to the Judaizers. Those were the people who said Christians had to follow all the rules of the Jews in order to be Christian. Rather than set up a whole system of rules for his new Christians, Paul limited them. He felt the Judaizers were dead wrong. Listen to what he had to say about them: “18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.” Why would these folks be enemies of the cross? The reason is that they were practicing a theology of “works righteousness”. Consistently throughout the Old Testament it was shown that God’s people did not have the capability to keep all those laws. For that reason God sent Jesus to die on the cross to atone for all those rules we have broken. That’s grace. It’s a free gift, unearned. But these Judaizers were trying to re-impose all those impossible rules on the early Christians-even though they were never able to keep the rules themselves.
So what is the result of this re-imposition of an elaborate set of rules? “19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth.” These people were bragging about how “pious” they were. There was no way they could ultimately live up to the behavior standards they set. Therefore, they condemned themselves by the very rules they established. Those who live by works righteousness will die by works unrighteousness.
This applies to us today as well as it did to the Philippians. We have a large group of Christians that I would call neo-Pharisees. The Pharisees were like the Judaizers. They go about trying to act holier than thou. They try to impose all sorts of rules by which we will get to heaven. The Pharisees were wrong; the Judaizers were wrong; and the neo-Pharisees are wrong. Now many of the things they say we should do are correct. We should be doing those things or not doing them. The error is that they make them a ticket to salvation. That is wrong, wrong, WRONG! Nothing we do can earn our way into heaven. Do your good works as an offering to God, in obedience and thanks, but not as a bribe.
Paul was really opposed to these Judaizers, who among other things required that Christian be circumcised. In his letter to the Galatians he wrote “5:12 Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!”-THE MESSAGE. I’m afraid I share almost the same zeal the neo-Pharisees. We must remember that grace is grace. If we could have behaved our way into heaven, God would not have needed to send Jesus. And if our behaving can’t get us there, we should rely on Jesus instead of ourselves. Taking that further, we should feel the freedom to accept the grace, even in the face of the worse sins we have ever committed! Nothing we do can make God love us any more; nothing we do can make Him love us any less.
So instead of fretting about the sins we have committed, the sins we are committing and the sins we are going to commit, what should we do? Paul makes a complete change of direction and tells us: “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. 21 He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere.” Citizens of Heaven? How can that be? Here’s how. The moment you accept the grace of Jesus Christ and allow Him to be in charge of your life, your spiritual DNA is changed. The Holy Spirit enters your heart and your spirit resides in the heavenly realms. Yes, in the heavenly realms up there with Jesus. We are citizens of heaven. That’s why I always tell you that eternity begins, not when we die, but at the precise moment that we accept the grace of Jesus.
From that time on, this world that we have to endure is only temporary. I don’t know about you, but that idea gives me the greatest hope and joy imaginable. Especially as this old body of mine begins betraying me, I delight that things will be different in heaven. We will all be restored to the same type of bodies as Jesus Christ himself!
Then Paul says something that I can really identify with: “4:1 Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work.” Those of you who are parents can identify with the feeling Paul had. Since I have been a pastor here at our church, I have a special connection with this feeling. I’ve seen some folks come to know Jesus for the first time. I’ve seen others grow in their faith as our Disciple Bible Studies have turned them on to the Word. I’ve seen folks gain a passion for helping others through food for the needy, sandwiches for the homeless, care packages for GIs and most recently a mercy mission to Katrina victims. I’ve seen folks taking a proprietary interest in their church, rebuilding, cleaning, decorating-all so we would have an inviting place in which to worship God. Finally, I’ve swelled with pride when new folks in our fellowship say they were attracted by how friendly and kind our folks were to them. In one area I can honestly say Paul has nothing on me, and I thank you for that.
Paul concludes this passage with a final thought: “So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends.” In our temporary existence here on this planet, we would do well to heed Paul’s advice. Being true to the Lord is a big deal. It’s not to get into heaven; it’s to show who we belong to. It’s an evangelism tool. As we remain true to the Lord, we become one with Him and it shows. Nonbelievers say, “I want whatever it is that (insert your name here) has!” As our spirit resides in heaven, when our actions are in truth with the Lord’s teachings, we encounter the peace that surpasses all understanding. We understand that it’s about our heart, not our works. It’s about living with the unmerited grace of God. If we’ve accepted that grace of God, it allows us to come to God’s table and share the holiest of meals with him. And invite you to do that today. In the name of the father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
MAY WE PRAY? Almighty and gracious God, Help us to understand that in our weakness, in this dirty, sinful temporary earthly home, it’s all about your forgiveness, your grace. We come to your table not as those who are righteous, but as those who are forgiven In Jesus’ name AMEN.
Today’s Scripture lesson is one that’s a bit difficult to preach. Paul is writing to his friends in the church at Philippi, and he makes a point of putting down fellow Christians. That’s always been a difficult area for me. It was probably difficult for Paul too; but he had to correct them. The future of the Christian church was at stake. But he doesn’t stop there; he continues to talk about good things as well. Let’s hear what Paul has to say to the Philippians and to us:
Philippians 3:17-4:1 NLT
17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. 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. 21 He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere. 4:1 Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends.
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
Paul skips around so much in this passage that it can be difficult to understand the point. For that reason, it helps me to look at his message in piece parts.
The first part says, “17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.” On the face of it, this sounds a bit arrogant to me, even if Paul was the Philippians’ spiritual leader. I’ll be the first to admit that pastors ought to live good and Godly lives that are worthy of imitation. The problem is that pastors are people just like everyone else, and we have our own feet of clay. That’s why I tell you frequently that you need to follow Jesus, not your pastor. Sooner or later human foibles will get involved, and your pastor, especially this one, will reveal an all too human nature. But Paul wasn’t really setting himself up as a paragon of virtue. In fact he was doing just the opposite.
Paul was setting up his behavior in opposition to the Judaizers. Those were the people who said Christians had to follow all the rules of the Jews in order to be Christian. Rather than set up a whole system of rules for his new Christians, Paul limited them. He felt the Judaizers were dead wrong. Listen to what he had to say about them: “18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.” Why would these folks be enemies of the cross? The reason is that they were practicing a theology of “works righteousness”. Consistently throughout the Old Testament it was shown that God’s people did not have the capability to keep all those laws. For that reason God sent Jesus to die on the cross to atone for all those rules we have broken. That’s grace. It’s a free gift, unearned. But these Judaizers were trying to re-impose all those impossible rules on the early Christians-even though they were never able to keep the rules themselves.
So what is the result of this re-imposition of an elaborate set of rules? “19 Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth.” These people were bragging about how “pious” they were. There was no way they could ultimately live up to the behavior standards they set. Therefore, they condemned themselves by the very rules they established. Those who live by works righteousness will die by works unrighteousness.
This applies to us today as well as it did to the Philippians. We have a large group of Christians that I would call neo-Pharisees. The Pharisees were like the Judaizers. They go about trying to act holier than thou. They try to impose all sorts of rules by which we will get to heaven. The Pharisees were wrong; the Judaizers were wrong; and the neo-Pharisees are wrong. Now many of the things they say we should do are correct. We should be doing those things or not doing them. The error is that they make them a ticket to salvation. That is wrong, wrong, WRONG! Nothing we do can earn our way into heaven. Do your good works as an offering to God, in obedience and thanks, but not as a bribe.
Paul was really opposed to these Judaizers, who among other things required that Christian be circumcised. In his letter to the Galatians he wrote “5:12 Why don't these agitators, obsessive as they are about circumcision, go all the way and castrate themselves!”-THE MESSAGE. I’m afraid I share almost the same zeal the neo-Pharisees. We must remember that grace is grace. If we could have behaved our way into heaven, God would not have needed to send Jesus. And if our behaving can’t get us there, we should rely on Jesus instead of ourselves. Taking that further, we should feel the freedom to accept the grace, even in the face of the worse sins we have ever committed! Nothing we do can make God love us any more; nothing we do can make Him love us any less.
So instead of fretting about the sins we have committed, the sins we are committing and the sins we are going to commit, what should we do? Paul makes a complete change of direction and tells us: “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. 21 He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere.” Citizens of Heaven? How can that be? Here’s how. The moment you accept the grace of Jesus Christ and allow Him to be in charge of your life, your spiritual DNA is changed. The Holy Spirit enters your heart and your spirit resides in the heavenly realms. Yes, in the heavenly realms up there with Jesus. We are citizens of heaven. That’s why I always tell you that eternity begins, not when we die, but at the precise moment that we accept the grace of Jesus.
From that time on, this world that we have to endure is only temporary. I don’t know about you, but that idea gives me the greatest hope and joy imaginable. Especially as this old body of mine begins betraying me, I delight that things will be different in heaven. We will all be restored to the same type of bodies as Jesus Christ himself!
Then Paul says something that I can really identify with: “4:1 Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work.” Those of you who are parents can identify with the feeling Paul had. Since I have been a pastor here at our church, I have a special connection with this feeling. I’ve seen some folks come to know Jesus for the first time. I’ve seen others grow in their faith as our Disciple Bible Studies have turned them on to the Word. I’ve seen folks gain a passion for helping others through food for the needy, sandwiches for the homeless, care packages for GIs and most recently a mercy mission to Katrina victims. I’ve seen folks taking a proprietary interest in their church, rebuilding, cleaning, decorating-all so we would have an inviting place in which to worship God. Finally, I’ve swelled with pride when new folks in our fellowship say they were attracted by how friendly and kind our folks were to them. In one area I can honestly say Paul has nothing on me, and I thank you for that.
Paul concludes this passage with a final thought: “So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends.” In our temporary existence here on this planet, we would do well to heed Paul’s advice. Being true to the Lord is a big deal. It’s not to get into heaven; it’s to show who we belong to. It’s an evangelism tool. As we remain true to the Lord, we become one with Him and it shows. Nonbelievers say, “I want whatever it is that (insert your name here) has!” As our spirit resides in heaven, when our actions are in truth with the Lord’s teachings, we encounter the peace that surpasses all understanding. We understand that it’s about our heart, not our works. It’s about living with the unmerited grace of God. If we’ve accepted that grace of God, it allows us to come to God’s table and share the holiest of meals with him. And invite you to do that today. In the name of the father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
MAY WE PRAY? Almighty and gracious God, Help us to understand that in our weakness, in this dirty, sinful temporary earthly home, it’s all about your forgiveness, your grace. We come to your table not as those who are righteous, but as those who are forgiven In Jesus’ name AMEN.