Philippians Study - Session 15

Philippians Study – Session 15

Philippians 4:4-9

            All Scripture, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, is inspired by God.  In that sense, there is no part of Scripture that is more or less important than any other part.  However, in another sense, there are parts of God’s Word that seem to stand out in importance and value to our lives.  They are like peaks in a majestic mountain range.  In our journey through Philippians we have come to one of those passages.  Philippians 4:4-9 is one of the great statements in the Bible, and it is packed with useful instruction for us.

            Philippians 4:4-9 consists of two paragraphs that are similar in structure.  Each paragraph begins with a series of instructions and ends with ends with a wonderful promise of peace.  The promise of the first paragraph is “the peace of God” (v.7), and the promise of the second paragraph is “the God of peace” (v.9). 

            This is such an important and beautiful part of God’s Word, I think the best way to approach it is simply to work through it word by word and phrase by phrase.

Philippians 4:4-7

Verse 4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

The word “rejoice” literally means to be full of joy.  Given Paul’s situation when he wrote this letter, that was an incredible thing for him to say.

·   He was locked away in a Roman prison...his very life was in question...

·   His friends in Philippi were embroiled in some kind of deep disagreement, and he couldn’t be there to help them...

·   The Christian community in Rome, where Paul was being held was divided...

·   Some of the Christians in Rome were jealous of Paul and were using the occasion of his imprisonment to attempt to undermine his leadership of the church...

And apparently Paul anticipated his readers questioning the wisdom of that statement.  I think Paul could envision them asking, “Has Paul gone absolutely mad?  Doesn’t he realize where he is?  Doesn’t he know what might happen to him?” And so for emphasis and clarity Paul repeats the statement  “...again I will say, rejoice!”

That statement is a reminder that while we cannot always choose our circumstances, we can choose how we respond to our circumstances.  Even in times of difficulty, it is possible for God’s people to rejoice.  The ability to rejoice, even in the hard times of life, does not come from naïvely burying our heads in the sand and pretending that everything is alright.  Instead, it is the recognition that we are never alone in our suffering.  As Psalm 31:7 puts it, “I will rejoice and be glad in Thy loving-kindness, because Thou hast seen my affliction; Thou hast known the trouble of my soul.”

Verse 5a – “Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men.”

The word translated ­­“forbearing” is one of the great words of the New Testament.  It means  to be humble, gentle, reasonable, patient, and courteous.  Instead of being characterized by the kind of conflict Paul felt compelled to address in Philippians 4:2-3, he urges believers to be “forbearing.”  This same word is translated “gentleness” in that wonderful list of qualities in Galatians 5:22-23 called “the fruit of the Spirit.”

Verse 5b – “The Lord is near.”

That phrase can be interpreted in one of two ways.

·         It could mean the Lord is near in the sense of His continuing presence in our lives.  Taken that way, this statement would be an echo of the promise that Jesus made to His disciples in Matthew 28:20 - “...I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” 

·         Or it could mean the Lord is near in the sense that His return to this world is near.  The New Testament view is that we have been living in the last days since the ascension of Jesus back to heaven.  The next great event in God’s redemptive history is the return of Christ.

Whichever way you interpret the phrase, the point is that it is the nearness of the Lord that motivates us to be “forbearing.”

Verse 6a – “Be anxious for nothing…”

The word translated “anxious” is a very graphic word.  It means to be pulled in different directions or to go to pieces.  And the wording of the phrase “Be anxious for nothing...” indicates the readers were in the grips of anxiety.  In effect Paul says to them, “Stop worrying...stop being pulled apart...stop focusing on your problems and focus instead on God...”  Best definition worry I have ever read was written by Norman Vincent  Peale.  He described worry as "...the destructive process of occupying the mind with thoughts contrary to God's love and care."

Verse 6b – “…but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Instead of worrying about any­thing, we’re to take everything to God in prayer.  There is a wonderful thought in that word “everything.”  He is saying that there is ­nothing—

·         So big that God cannot handle it...

·         So small that God is not interested in it...

Just as a child can be sure a loving parent is interested in whatever happens to him/her, so we can be sure our loving heavenly Father is vitally concerned about all cares and anxieties in our  lives.  I Peter 5:7 says it well... "Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for  you."

Verse 7 – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The word "guard" in phrase "guard your hearts" is a military  term.  It was used to describe a Roman soldier, weapon in hand, standing in ­­­front of a door keeping anyone from entering.  The result of following the commands of verses 4-6 is that we experience in our lives the “peace of God.”  We have a sense of inner well-being that can only be explained by God’s presence in us.

Philippians 4:8-9

One of the great unexplored frontiers which we are just beginning to discover is the frontier of the mind.  We are only in the infancy of understanding the amazing on-board computer God has put in our heads.  However, even in our limited understanding, we do know that our lives are radically impacted by what we allow to be fed into our minds and what we do with the information once it is there.  That’s not a new revelation.  Hundreds of years ago the writer of Proverbs wrote, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” [Pro.23:7]  Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way:

“Sow a thought, reap an action.

Sow an action, reap a habit.

Sow a habit, reap a character.

Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

What he was saying that what we think and how we think, to a large degree, determines our destiny.

The basic command of Philippians 4:8 is found in the phrase “...let your mind dwell...” at the end of the verse.  The verb translated “...let your mind dwell...” in the NASB and “...think on...” in the KJV is logizomai.  It carries the idea of careful, thoughtful reflection.  It is referring to something much deeper than just a fleeting thought.  Instead, it means to ponder, to give proper weight to, or to concentrate with all the mental power we can muster.

Now look at the first part of v.8 at the list of things on which the minds of God’s people should dwell.

·         True - This means things upon which we can rely, which will not fail us, will not let us down...in Jesus’ great prayer in John 17 He prayed that God would sanctify His followers in the truth and then he explained what He meant by saying, “Thy word is truth...”...and to occupy our minds with what is true means to occupy our minds with God’s Word...

·         Honorable - Carries idea of things that are worthy of reverence...instead of being consumed by things that are cheap, flippant, trivial, unimportant, we should be consumed by the dignified, respectable, important things of life...doesn’t mean that we never laugh or joke or enjoy life...think Jesus lived with twinkle in His eye...it means that we are not to focus our lives on things which are dishonorable...

·         Right - Idea is giving to God and to others what is due them...we are to focus on doing what is right in relation to God and to other people...

·         Pure - This word carries idea of morally pure or undefiled...world is filled with things that are sordid, shabby, smutty...God’s people are to avoid those things...we are not allow our minds to become saturated by things that are impure...

·         Lovely - This word means love-inspiring...instead of filling our minds with things which arouse ill feelings toward others, we are to focus on things which cause us to love others...

·         Good repute - Barclay describes this as “...the things that are fit to hear...”...the world is full of words that are not fit to hear--not just the obviously profane words, but also words that are false, deceptive, and demeaning of others...we are to focus on things which are worth talking about and which we can take into the very presence of God...

·         Excellent/worthy of praise - The translated “excellence” is from classical Greek and is used nowhere else in NT...was used to describe excellence in every form--mental, moral, and physical...we are to focus on those things which motivate us to doing very best we can do, not on those things which allow us to settle for less than our best...

Those are the types of things which should occupy the minds of God’s people.

Now look at what the first part of verse 9 – “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things...”... there are two very significant things in that statement want you to see...

·         Paul had the courage to say, “Look at my life.  What you see in me, practice yourself!”...tragically, very few Christians can make a statement like that with integrity...we have to say just the opposite...”Don’t look at my life; just listen to my words.  Do what I say, not what I do!”...however, Paul was well aware that people learn by example, and he made sure his example was right...this is second time in this letter Paul invited his readers to look at his life and do as he did...in 3:17 he challenged the Philippians to “...join in following my example...”...and now, in 4:9, he issues to them the same challenge...

·         This statement is a reminder that the great responsibility of being a Christian is living like a Christian!...not saved by right living...saved by faith in Christ...but once we have made that faith commitment of our lives to Christ, right living is the evidence that you really are a Christian...

There’s a beautiful promise at conclusion of this paragraph…as we fill our minds with the right things and live our lives in the right way, then ”...the God of peace shall be with you...” That doesn’t mean there is ever time when God is not with us...but if we fill our minds with the wrong things and if we live our lives in total disregard of God’s will, we will find ourselves in the position of being calloused to, insensitive to the presence of God with us...on the other hand, as we fill our minds with the right things and live our lives in the right way, we become keenly aware of God--the God who brings peace and contentment--being in our lives…

Philippians Study - Session 14

Philippians Study – Session 14

Philippians 4:1-3

            There is a great old story about man went to doctor because bitten by dog...decided test dog for rabbis...doctor came in and gave man bad news that dog was rabid...ask for pen and paper and began write furiously...thought making out will and tried calm man by saying while serious wasn't fatal...man said I’m not writing will, making list of people I'm going to bite!...

            Many people seem to go through life with that kind attitude...go through life constantly looking for someone to bbbite...always in conflict, always at odds with someone...basically, their lives are miserable and those who come into contact with them aare miserable as well...the church at Philippi must have had some people like that…

            In our continuing study of Philippians have come to a passage which introduces us to two women in the church at Philippi who may have been like that...they were locked in conflict, and apparently their conflict was spilling over into and becoming harmful to the fellowship and mission of the church...Throughout the letter of Philippians Paul makes some thinly veiled references to some conflict which was dividing that church...over and over he encourages the Philippians to rise above the conflict...for example--

--1:9 ‑ Paul says, "I pray that your love may abound  still more and more in real knowledge and all  discernment..." implying that their love for each other was not what should be...

-1:27 ‑ Encourages them to stand "firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together..."

--2:2 ‑ Instructs them to be "of the same mind, maintaining the  same love, united in spirit, intent on one  purpose..."

--2:14‑ Tells them to "do all things without grumbling or disputing..."

All those statements are indirect references to conflict that existed in the church at Philippi…now, in Philippians 4:1-3 addresses the conflict directly...

            It is interesting how Paul addresses the conflict in the Philippian church.  Before dealing with the situation directly, he directs a very encouraging word to the entire church.  Look at Philippians 4:1 – “Therefore, my beloved brethren, whom I long to see, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.”  I want you to notice two things about that statement.

Notice how positive Paul was toward the Philippians

1.      Christians in Philippi certainly weren’t perfect...they had their faults and shortcomings...but you would never know it from reading Philippians 4:1...Paul could have thought of many negative things to say about them...

--had divided fellowship...apparently was some intense conflict within the church...could have chastised them for that...

--had theological error in their fellowship...were some people among them Paul considered “enemies of the cross of Christ” as he put it in the previous chapter...could have criticized them for allowing the false teaching to continue...

--had spirit of discouragement in their fellowship...their leader was in prison and they had lost some of their missionary zeal...could have degraded them for their lack of faith...

2.      Paul could have said any number of negative things about the Christians in Philippi...but he didn’t...he left the negative unsaid... instead, in 4:1 he makes four great positive statements about the people who first received this letter...

--”my beloved brethren” - Literally text says, “Brothers of mine, dearly beloved ones...”...word translated “beloved” is word used elsewhere in Scripture to describe God’s sacrificial love for us...it is plural, meaning that it applies to all of them...in effect Paul said to them, “I want you to now I love you--each and every one of you--with the same kind of love which God in Christ has expressed to us!”

--”whom I long to see” - The phrase could be read this way: “Brothers of mine, dearly beloved ones and intensely longed for ones...”...Paul was saying, “I don’t want to love you from a distance.  I want to be close to you.  I yearn to have fellowship with you.  I desire to see you face to face.”

--”my joy” - Paul was not in a joyful place when wrote these words...was in prison, probably in Rome...I’ve seen the prison where Paul may have been held there...is dark, foreboding place...certainly not place would associate with joy...but Paul says to the Philippians, “Even in a place like this, just thinking of you brings joy to my heart.”

--”my crown” - There are two basic words for crown in Greek...one is diadema and refers to a royal crown, a crown of kingship...the other is stephanos...it refers to the wreath placed on the head of a winner in an athletic contest...that’s the word Paul uses here...in effect he is saying, “You are my award, my prize for Christian service...I treasure you!”

3.      Can you imagine how Philippians must have felt when whomever was reading this letter aloud to the assembly got to 4:1...when they heard Paul refer to them as “...brothers of mine, dearly beloved ones and intensely longed for ones, my joy and my crown...” they must have thought, “Is this the right letter?  Could that be us he is talking about?  You mean we’re beloved and longed for and a joy and a crown?”...what a lift these words must have given the beleaguered Christians in Philippi...

4.      There is a lesson here about having healthy relationships we must not miss...if you want to have good relationships with others, look for things in them to praise instead of to criticize...most people don’t have a great need for others to point out their faults and weaknesses...generally, we are very aware of those...most of us need people to remind us of our strengths and abilities...If we would develop the habit of focusing on the positive attributes of others and leaving the negative alone, we would improve the quality of our relationships in every area of life...

Notice how encouraging Paul was toward them

1.      Obviously these two ideas go hand in hand...

--if we are positive in spirit toward others we will encourage them...

--conversely, if characterized by negative attitude toward others we will discourage them...

2.      Paul was a great encourager...Philippians 4 is one of the most encouraging passages in the Bible...the basic thrust of this chapter is to encourage those who read it “in the Lord”...three times in the first 4 verses Paul uses that phrase...

--v.4 - “...rejoice in the Lord...”

--v.2 - “...live in harmony in the Lord...”

--v.1 - “...stand firm in the Lord...”

Word rendered “stand firm” is stekete...military term...it pictures a soldier standing firm in the heat of battle...the soldier does not--

--retreat from the charge of the enemy...

--buckle under the pressure...

--give up and run [Harbour, Philippians Notes]

3.      There’s a beautiful picture in this statement...in prison, under constant guard, living in very difficult conditions, the great Apostle tells his friends, “I am not giving up...not overwhelmed by my circumstances...not discouraged...and I want to encourage you to stay with it as well...”

4.      There’s just something in us which draws us to people who are encouragers...it was William Arthur Ward who made this famous statement: “Flatter me, and I may not believe you.  Criticize me, and I may not like you.  Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.  Encourage me, and I will not forget you.” [Illustrations A-Z]

            After that positive word of encouragement in verse 1, in verses 2-3 Paul deals directly with the conflict.  These verses provide an interesting insight here into role women in New Testament church...generally in Greek culture women stayed very much in the background...for example—

--in most places respectable women would never appear in street alone or with head unveiled...

--women had own private living quarters in houses and never even joined male members of the family, even for meals...

--women had no part in any public life…

And in places where would have been deemed disgraceful for women to do otherwise, Paul urged  them to maintain background role in church...Corinth, located in Achaia in southern Greece is good example of that kind of place...

            However, things were different in Macedonia where Philippi located...woman enjoyed a freedom and a place in life  there didn't have elsewhere in Greece...and that freedom is reflected in churches...

‑‑Paul's first convert in Macedonia was woman...Lydia,  a successful business woman, who became leading  figure in church at Philippi...

‑‑In Macedonian cities of Thessalonica and Berea, was the leading women of the cities who first came to faith in Christ and who became leaders of the churches...

‑‑And it’s not surprising that in Philippi find two women,  Eudoia and Syntyche, were having a significant impact on church...

            Even though there are no no other references to Euodia and Syntyche  in the Scripture, their names provide us a clue to personalities...

‑‑EUODIA means "prosperous journey"...probably woman who had gotten somewhere in life...was an achiever...she was probably kind woman could have been successful in anything decided do...

‑‑SYNTYCHE means "pleasant acquaintance, happy chance, good luck..."...probably one of those pleasant, affable  people who find it easy get along with everybody...in  social circles no doubt known as good mixer...

For whatever reason, these two capable, powerful women were locked in some type of conflict and it was hurting the church.  In addressing the situation, Paul gives us a formula for dealing with conflict.  Want you to see what Paul did not do and what he did do in responding to the conflict in the Philippian church...first notice what didn't do‑‑

‑‑Didn't ignore the problem ‑Didn't say, "If look  other way, bury head in sand, will go away..."...many  problems which can be easily dealt with in early  stages become almost insurmountable if allowed  fester and grow...

‑‑Didn't take sides ‑ Very carefully worded his  statement...took great care say exact same thing to  each..."I urge Euodia" and "I urge Syntyche"...rather  awkward way wording...but from how Paul addressed them it was impossible for either to claim with integrity, "Paul is siding with me..."

‑‑Didn't attempt Lord it over them ‑ When wrote he was recognized leader of church...could have chosen exercise apostolic authority and be very harsh and demanding…but instead said, "I urge you..."... word  means "exhort, beg, plead with..."...instead of exercising his authority, in meekness and humility  said, "Please stop what you're doing. You are  destroying the church and you're hurting  yourselves."

Now notice what Paul did do in response to the conflict...

--He appealed to their higher motives - Paul urged them to "live in harmony in the Lord"...wasn’t asking them to think alike, to have the same preferences, have same tastes...but he reminded them that Christians should be bound together by a  common commitment to the Lord...one person said this about phrase "live in harmony in  the Lord..": “Sometimes it is only "in the Lord" that  people can get together.  Even within the church, there are personality differences and incompatibilities which make it difficult to have a harmonious fellowship.  When we commit these tensions to Christ, however, we can learn to love and appreciate each  other in spite of the differences.”

--He urged others to serve as peacemakers - In v.3 Paul instructs those who read this letter “...to help these women...” ...there’s an important lesson in that...when people around us are in conflict we can either fan the flames or attempt to cool things down...God’s people should always be looking for ways to build bridges of peace and reconciliation between people in conflict...

Following Paul’s example will help us deal with conflict in a redemptive way...

CONCLUSION

            Jesus told disciples: "A new commandment I give to you,  that you love one another.  Even as I have loved you,  that you love one another also.  By this all men will  know that you are my disciples, if you have love one  for another."

In letter of I John told "...the one who does not love  his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he  has not seen."...

            Of all people, Christians should love each other...live in peace and harmony with each other...avoid unnecessary conflict...doing so is credit to you and credit to the kingdom of God...

Philippians - Session 13

Philippians Study – Session 13

(Philippians 3:12-21)

      In our previous session, we talked about the two things we must do to satisfy the deepest longing of our hearts – the need to live in relationship with the One who created us.  We saw that to restore our broken relationship with God we essentially have to do two things:

·         Let go of the idea that we are capable of doing anything to earn our way back into  that relationship

·         Accept God’s free gift of salvation made possible for us through the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf

In Philippians 3:1-11 Paul tells us how that process worked out in his life.

·         In verses 1-7 he lists some things of which he had to let go in order to restore his relationship with God.  Essentially, he says that the very things he was counting on to make him right with God were actually barriers to that relationship.  Those things focused on self-righteousness and the reality is that no one can be righteous enough to earn right relationship with God. 

·         In verses 8-11 he speaks of the things he gained by accepting that right relationship with God is possible only through faith in Christ.  We enter that relationship by casting ourselves on God’s mercy and allowing God to make us righteous, which He can do because Jesus paid the price for our sin.

      Having described the process of entering right relationship with God in the first part of chapter 3, beginning in verse 12 Paul begins to describe what our lives should look like as we live in that relationship.  In verses 12-21 I see five characteristics that should be in the lives of those people who have been made right with God through Jesus.

1.      Be characterized by perseverance

1.   Three times in verses 12-16 the Scripture makes specific reference to the importance of perseverance, endurance in the lives of Christians.  Twice, once in v.12 and again in v.14, Paul makes the statement “I press on...”   The word translated press on carries idea of pursuing something with dogged determination.  It was used to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey.  And then in v.16 is the admonition, “...let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”   The word translated “living” in that statement is not the normal word translated living in New Testament.  This word carries the idea of “following in line” or “staying on course.”  Sum total of all that is that perseverance, staying on track and not giving up, is a necessary element of the life to which God has called us.

2.   Underlying this part of Philippians 3 is the image of a footrace.  That is an image Paul often uses in his writings.  Many people seem to approach the Christian life as if coming to faith in Christ is the finish line of the race.  They seem to believe that once a person comes to faith in Christ, nothing else is required.  But the truth is, coming to faith in Christ is not the finish line, it is the beginning point, the starting block of the Christian life. 

3.   It is possible that someone could look at those things listed in vv.8-11 which we have gained as Christians—

--personal relationship with Jesus...

--rightness with God...

 --the power of the resurrection...

And conclude that we have made it...that the race is over...that we have crossed the finish line.  But Paul says, “Not so!”...notice what he says in v.12 - “Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect...”  The thrust of that statement is, “I haven’t reached the finish line yet...I’m still moving toward it...”

4.      There’s an important truth here about the nature of the Christian life which is vital for us to understand...the Christian life is a pilgrimage, a journey, a process...it’s a life with a goal, a purpose, a destination...in v.12 and again in v.15 Paul uses a special word to describe the goal, the destination of the Christian life...the word is translated “perfect” in most English bibles, but that’s an unfortunate translation...the word is “teleios” and it doesn’t mean what we normally mean when we use the word perfect... 

5.      We use the word perfect to mean “without flaw, sinless, lacking in nothing”...but that’s not the meaning of “teleios”...doesn’t mean abstract or philosophical perfection...instead, carries idea of reaching one’s purpose, of being complete or mature...the word has been translated as full grown, ripe in understanding, mature in faith, spiritually adult...

6.      In relation to the Christian life to be “perfect” means to be full-grown, completely mature as a Christian...and Paul makes it clear that he understood he wasn’t their yet...that he was still on the journey...that the race wasn’t over...that he still had a lot of maturing to do...and if Paul, the leading theologian, missionary, church planter in all of Christendom, had not yet fully mature or reached the finish line, certainly none of us should think that we have!

2.      Balance the past and the present

1.      Verses 13-14 contain one of the great statements of the Bible... and they certainly provide us insight into the incredible life of Paul...look at what these verses say...”Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”...

2.      One of the fundamentals of running a race, especially a sprint, is to fix your eyes on the finish line...certainly can’t look backward and run effectively at the same time...Paul says that he runs “...forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead...”...the image is that of an athlete leaning toward, even straining toward the finish line...with all of his strength, he is focused on the goal...

3.      The point of that statement is that there is no way we will live fully today if constantly trying to relive the past...as one writer put it, "No one can move forward while he is hitched to the past!"...

4.   Must have been temptation for Paul...when wrote this  letter was in prison...along with Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians this is one of Paul’s prison epistles...no doubt had lot time to think...could  have used that time look back...

--could have thought about his mistakes such as time consented to killing of Stephen...

--could have thought about the many people along the way who had betrayed him and persecuted him...

--could have thought about his many successes...

And think significant he didn't do that...he didn't try to re-live the past...instead, he looked toward the future...

5.   There are a number of things we can learn from that...

--"forgetting what lies behind" means forgetting the mistakes you have made...every person has some things in their past which they regret.  Paul certainly did...hands were bloody at expense of  some early Christians...could have tortured himself  over that...but confessed sins to God, received forgiveness, dug a mental grave, and buried his past in  it...all need learn do that....

--"forgetting what lies behind" means forgetting how you may have been wronged...many people had persecuted Paul...as wrote was in jail because some made false accusations against them...but refused spend time resenting and brooding about what others had done to him...if go through life keeping record of every wrong/slight/ hurt will end up pathetic, bitter person...Dale Foster wrote:  "Travel light. Shed excess baggage, such as failures, disappointments, worries, griefs, and resentments of the past.  Stop opening old sores and bad memories." [Pulpit Helps, Vol.22,No.1]

--"forgetting what lies behind" means forgetting the successes you may have had...won't get much accomplished today if constantly reliving the successes of yesterday...

6.   Point all that is to live fully today, the orientation of life must be on what lies ahead not on what lies behind...Paul Powell wrote:  "To live a victorious life you can't rest on yesterday's laurels and you can't harbor yesterday’s hurts.  As someone has said, 'The rewards in life go to those who are willing to give up the past.'" [Sermons for Special Days, p.6]

3.      Be a good example for others

1.      Paul makes amazing statement in first part of v.17...”...join in following my example...”...the phrase “join in following” renders a single Greek word...it’s the word from which our word “mimic” or “imitate” comes...in other words Paul is saying, “Look at how I live...examine my life...you would do well to pattern your life after mine.”

2.      At first glance, sounds like rather brash and arrogant thing for Paul to say...but this statement must be read in the context of what Paul said in the preceding paragraph...Paul just said that he did not consider himself to be a fully mature Christian...he certainly did not glory in his own achievements... his only desire was to be like Christ...and with all his might he was striving to do that...

3.      Paul understood that he wasn’t perfect...understood had a long way to go...but because of his genuine commitment to being like Christ, could say with integrity to his friends in Philippi, “Look at my life...follow my example...live as I live!”...and last part of v.17 makes clear that Paul understood he wasn’t the only example worth following...he says, “There are others who live the same kind of life after whom you would do well to pattern your lives.”

4.      Listen to what one person wrote about the being an example for others:  “Can we offer ourselves as a pattern, asking others to follow our lifestyles?  There are no bibles like human bibles.  There are all kinds of bibles: pulpit bibles, teachers’ bibles, children’s bibles, women’s bibles--all kinds of bibles.  But there is only one bible the unsaved are taking time to read and that is the bible characterized in your life and mine.  If our unsaved neighbors and friends do not see the Lord Jesus Christ in us, in all probability they will never see Him.  What do they read when they look at our lives?  What do they see?  Are we examples of the God of grace and glory who has sacrificed everything for us?” [From sermon by John Stensrud, “The Characteristics of Christian Citizenship” - SermonCentral.com]

4.      Resist the ever present temptation of being self-centered

1.      In v.18 with a broken heart Paul refers to some of the people in Philippi as “...enemies of the cross of Christ”...from what Paul says about these people in v.19, it seems to me he is referring to professing Christians in Philippi who were more influenced by the prevailing secular philosophy of the day than they were by the gospel of Christ...

2.      In the ancient Greek world there was a popular philosophy which taught that the satisfaction of one’s physical appetites was the chief aim or goal of life...they were the original “If it feels good, do it” crowd...and apparently, there were some people in the Philippian church who had bought into that popular philosophy...

3.      In v.19 Paul describes them as people “...whose god is their appetite...”...literally the text says their god is their belly or stomach...that phrase may be a reference to a statement in classical Greek literature with which Paul and his readers would have been familiar...the Cyclops in Euripides makes this statement: “My flocks ... I sacrifice to no-one but myself ... not to the gods ... to the belly, the greatest of gods.  For to eat and drink each day, and to give one’s self no trouble, this is the god of wise men.”

4.      And in these verses Paul is chastising some of the Philippians for buying into and patterning their lives after that standard of self-centeredness...over and over again in this letter Paul argues against that kind of philosophy...the thesis statement of this letter is Philippians 2:3-4...I’ve read it to you so often you are probably tired of hearing it...but you can’t really understand the life to which God calls us without understanding the principle taught in these verses...”Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for you own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

5.      The way of the world hasn’t really changed all that much in the nearly 2000 years since Paul wrote Philippians...while we may be more sophisticated in how we carry it out, the philosophy is basically the same...

--live for yourself...

--there are really no moral absolutes in the universe...

--if it works for you, it must be okay...

--if it feels good or right, then by all means do it...

6.      It is the philosophy which puts self, self-gratification, self-actualization above all else...if we can make that fit in with the teachings of Jesus, great, we’ll do it...but if not, we’re going to choose our way over His every time...

5.      Look to the future with optimism

1.      Many people don’t want to look to or even think about the future...they fear what may be out there...they are afraid they may have an experience like the frog I heard about...went to a fortune teller to find out about his future...fortune teller said, “Well, I’ve got some good news and bad news for you.”...frog asked for the good news first and fortune teller said, “I see that you are going to meet a beautiful young woman.  From the moment she sets eyes on you she will have an insatiable desire to learn more about you.  She will get to know you better than anyone ever has or will.”...frog said, “That’s great, but what’s the bad news?...fortune teller said, “The bad news is that you’re going to meet her in the biology lab.” 

1.But Christians need not fear the future... in vv.20-21 Paul encourages his readers to take long look forward through eyes of optimism to what awaits them as citizens in God’s kingdom...in these verses Paul directs our attention toward two events...

--the return of Jesus from heaven...”...we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ...” (V.20)

--the resurrection/transformation of our earthly bodies which will take place at that time...”...who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory...” (V.21)

Point of all that is citizens of God’s kingdom have every reason to look forward to the future with confidence and optimism...

Conclusion

1.      Notice the phrase “…our citizenship is in heaven…” in verse 20.  That phrase would have had special meaning to the people in Philippi.  Philippi was a Roman colony and Roman colonies were amazing things...when we hear the word colony we tend to think of a remote outpost in an out-of-the-way part of the world, such as the original 13 colonies on the largely unexplored North American continent early in our nation’s history...

2.      But that’s not how Romans did colonies...they placed colonies at the strategic military and commercial centers of their ever expanding empire...the Roman colonies were populated mainly by Roman soldiers who had served the required 21 years in the Roman army to earn their citizenship...no matter how far away from Rome a colony was planted, the people in that colony remained fiercely loyal to Rome...

3.      Philippi was located in Macedonia in northern Greece about 600 miles from Rome...however, the people who lived there did not—

--view themselves as Greeks; they viewed themselves as Romans

--speak the language of Macedonia; spoke the language of Rome

--put their children to bed at night telling the stories of Macedonia; told them the stories of the glory of Rome...

4.   Living in a Roman colony, the Christians in Philippi could easily identify with the concept of living in one place and yet being a citizen of another place...and they understood the concept of living responsibly as a citizen of their true homeland…in these verses Paul tells us how to live in this world as citizens of the kingdom of God…

·         Be characterized by perseverance

·         Balance the past and the present

·         Be a good example for others

·         Resist the ever present temptation of being self-centered

·         Look to the future with optimism