Church Sermon - March 7, 2004

Rev. Bernt P. Tweit

Old Testament Lesson; Jeremiah 26:8-15
Gospel Lesson; Luke 13:31-35
Sermon Text; Philippians 3:17-4:1

In Philippi, there was a group of people who were trying to worm their way into the congregation there. They were trying to undermine the Gospel message and destroy what Paul had preached to the people, when he had stopped through, on his missionary journey. This group was called the Judiaizers. They were both Jew and Gentile converts to Christianity, who claimed to believe in Jesus, as their Savior. And yet, they also taught that in addition to believing in Jesus as their Savior, it was necessary to keep certain Old Testament, Ceremonial Laws that God had given to Israel. (For example, to circumcise.) Yet, when Jesus died on the cross, He had done away with those Old Testament, Ceremonial Laws.

Basically, the Judiaizers confused law and gospel, and it was doing harm to the church in Philippi. Paul appealed to the Philippians to choose the right example to follow, in their Christian living.

In our text for today Paul starts out by saying,

"Take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Philippians 3:17

Paul was asking the people to live according to the example of those who followed and lived according to the Word of God. God blessed the church in Philippi with some wonderful leaders and examples that they could follow, such as Paul, himself, or the young pastor Timothy, (who helped write this letter to the church at Philippi), as well as other Christian leaders. These men, whom God appointed as apostles and pastors, would be the only example the congregation needed, to learn about Christian living, because they lived according to the Word of God. Anybody who taught anything different from the Gospel, the Word of God, was to be avoided. They were an enemy of the Cross of Christ, because they were not living for Christ.

The very thought of people who claimed to be followers of Jesus, but who lived contrary to the Gospel, brought tears to Paul’s eyes. Paul writes, "For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things." Philippians 3:18-19

And so today, as we examine our text and we see that we are citizens and our citizenship is there, I want us to focus on two things.

Throughout the scriptures, we are told repeatedly, not to be caught up in the things of this world. It warns us how it is so easy to follow and fall into living, according to the ways of this world. Paul, in our text for today says,

"For, as I have often told you before and now say again, even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things."

The world teaches that we are to be selfish and self-centered. All we have to do is turn on the TV and see commercials at any point during the day. These commercials tell us to live for ourselves and to be indulged in our own selfish pleasures.

We live in a selfish world and a self-centered world. Just think about some of the mottoes that the world tells us to live by.

"Eat drink and be merry"

"He who dies with the most toys, wins." If Jesus had thought this way, you and I would still be lost in our sins and heading straight for Hell! Anyone who subscribes to this way of thinking and living has placed his or her own desires above God. When that happens, our money, our possessions and our pleasures have become our god. As Paul says, "Their mind is on earthly things." They have made their stomach their god and their only wish is to fill their sinful appetites. Gluttony, greed, drunkenness, and sexual immorality are the appetites that the sinful nature demands to be satisfied.

Look around the world today. What do you see? You see people who find glory in their shame. Sexual immorality is very prevalent. You see people commit adultery and act as if it’s acceptable. Homosexuality, abortion, fornication, and indecent behavior are considered nothing. They are not condemned, as sins that God expressly forbids, because people think of the Bible as ‘old fashioned’ and ‘out of date’. But everyone who chooses to live this way of life, this way of thinking, is an enemy of the cross of Christ.

Scripture tells us that we cannot be neutral. No one can be neutral.

We are either living

for Jesus,

or we are living against Him.

We can’t straddle the fence.

Either you are

for Jesus,

or you are against Jesus.

There is

straddling the fence.

And what is the end of those who are His enemies? Paul tells us in our text for today, what their destiny is, what our destiny would be, if we were to live contrary to Christ.

"Their destiny is destruction"

Philippians 3:19.

Focusing on this world and focusing on earthly things, can only lead to destruction. That is exactly what Satan wants us to do. He wants us to fall into the thinking of this world. Satan uses the things of this world to draw us away from Christ and the way Jesus wants us to live.

Thanks be to God, that Jesus wants us to focus on Him. He wants us to focus our thoughts on heavenly things. Jesus wants us to live according to His will. And, the only way we can do this is to be focused on Jesus and heavenly things.

Focusing on Jesus and heavenly things should be a major part of our Christian living. The last hymn that we are going to sing today is a wonderful reminder of where our thoughts should be focused.

Paul, in our text for today, reminds us "our citizenship is in Heaven". Philippians 3:20

The enemies of the cross live for this world and its pleasures. They are earth bound and world orientated. This is not the way Christians live in this world, because this world is not our permanent home.

Imagine to be called a citizen of Heaven! It is a term of great honor, which God is pleased to bestow on us, for Jesus’ sake! To be a citizen in Israel, during the Old Testament, was to be highly prized. To be a citizen of Rome, during the New Testament, was highly prized. To be a citizen of America today is to be highly prized. And yet, nothing is more highly prized than the citizenship that has been won for us in Heaven! Nothing is more glorious than citizenship in Heaven!

It is the kingdoms of this world that will one day come to an end. But, the citizenship in Heaven that was won for us will never come to an end. Even when we die, our citizenship will not cease! The citizen of Heaven belongs to a Kingdom that will never end. It stands firm and sure, for Jesus is defending it and those in it. The citizen of Heaven will not have his citizenship taken from him, nor will his citizenship end, when he dies. The Apostle Peter tells us that our citizenship is "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in Heaven." 1 Peter 1:4.

The blessing of citizenship in Heaven is that its citizens are the redeemed people of God. They are the people to whom God has granted His mercy in Jesus Christ. They are people who have been delivered from the destruction that will fall upon to the enemies of the cross. Because of Christ, "we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household." Eph. 2:19

We are so thankful that citizenship in Heaven has been won for us! It is not something we deserve, or can earn, achieve, or merit by our own efforts, but it is a citizenship awarded by the grace of God. Our citizenship has been given to us, because of the atoning death of our Savior, Jesus. Our citizenship in Heaven was sealed, when Jesus rose from the grave on Easter morning. Now, Jesus has ascended into Heaven, where He is preparing a place for us, until He calls us Home, or until He calls this world to an end.

The Holy Spirit has led us to believe those wonderful truths concerning Christ. By the powerful promises of God in the Scriptures, we are assured that we belong to Christ and that Heaven belongs to us. Men may steal our earthly life, but God tells us, "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39.

Keeping focused on Jesus and heavenly things, while we live in a world that wallows in sins and lives contrary to the Word of God is a very difficult task. It is the devil who is trying to tempt us with all of those things that we have around us. So to help us keep focused, Paul reminds us that we are really only waiting for Jesus to return. Paul writes, "We eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21.

Because of sin, this world will someday come to a screeching halt. Jesus the great King and Judge will appear. He will deal righteously with a sinful and rebellious mankind. And only those will escape who believe in Jesus as God’s appointed sacrifice for their sins.

Jesus will appear to all believers not as a fearful Judge, but as our Savior and glorious Lord. He will rescue us from this world. He will take us with Him to that land which we have never seen, but which is our home.

And this will be a complete deliverance, not only from the evil influences of this world, but also from its evil effects. Each day we remain here we feel those effects: the quarreling and strife, the disappointments and frustrations, the worries and fears, the sickness, pain and weakness.

For the present though, we are still on earth. And God has a reason for keeping us here, for a while. It is our time of grace, during which God has graciously called us to a life of repentance and faith. It is also a time of opportunity. A time to bring that same Gospel invitation to those still in darkness. But while we work and wait here, we turn our thoughts heavenward, keeping focused on Jesus and heavenly things. Then when God calls us home, or Jesus returns, we can stand before our righteous Judge confident, because our citizenship is in Heaven.

Amen.

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