February 28, 2010 Philippians 3:17-4:1

17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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.

1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! (NIV)

We are trained from early on to try and follow patterns. Children will get paint by number sets where they color in one section at a time according to the number. Before they know it the picture takes shape and turns into a very distinct picture. Later on students are given math problems in a sequence and they are asked whether they can see the progression and figure out what the next number will be. Even meteorologists are taught to study weather patterns so they can predict with good accuracy what kind of weather will come in the next weeks. If this is not done, it is easy to misinterpret individual facts and statistics or perhaps over react. That is what many fear has been done with the global warming scare; that facts have only been equated over the past thirty years without taking note of the data from the previous hundred years into account. This can cause an over reaction and misinterpretation if you don’t see patterns.

It has been interesting for me to approach my Bible study in this way; to look for more patterns. It’s what makes the Lord's Supper such a natural thing to me. When I see God hiding Himself under fire in the wilderness and in a bush or a cloud, it doesn’t seem so strange for me to think that God could still hide Himself under bread and wine yet today; even with His resurrected body and blood. But for people that only think of the here and the now; and only think of what their reason can grasp; they fail to see the big picture. It is important for us to look at patterns and try and see what we can learn from them.

In today’s text Paul told the congregation at Philippi to do just that; to look at the pattern of living which he and the apostles had left with them over the years. They were to observe how they lived and how they reacted to situations; their boldness and their demeanor. They were to listen to what they said and take note of the patterns in which they did things. They were to follow them. But they were also to take note of the patterns of the world of unbelievers to see how they lived. They were to reject those. That is good advice for us as well. Don’t just live within your own little cocoon. See how people live. Take note of it.

Follow the Apostolic Pattern

I. Cry over the ways of the world

I am not a big fan of those who are constantly assessing societal patterns, even though they some very interesting insights from time to time. With sweeping generalizations they tell us what Generation X is seeking and does vs. Generation Y. Then they tell the American church how they can reach out to these people and meet their felt needs. The thing I don’t like about it is that it seems that you almost have to be an anthropologist in order to be an evangelist.

I don’t believe it has to be so difficult. No matter what generation you are from; even if you are different; you still are bred with the same motivation according to what Paul said under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As long as you understand this about people I think you pretty much know what you are getting into when you try to reach out to the lost unbelievers. Paul knew exactly how all people live and why they live that way. He wrote,

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.

This ugly sinful nature comes out in different ways with different generations. The generation which Tom Brokaw calls the “greatest” was known for its willingness to fight World War II and do it in a selfless way. They beat back the Germans and helped to save England and France from a final defeat. Many of this same generation is very willing to decry all of the evils of our present society in comparison with how great it was when they were kids; yet is this generation filled with pride over how great they were? God hates pride and those who think they have something great as well; even when in the eyes of the world it deserves some recognition. I’m sure they had plenty of things wrong with them as well. When you look at how their children turned out it also makes you wonder what kind of a job this greatest generation did at raising their own children? But even mentioning any “faults” of a certain generation probably makes some from that generation get naturally defensive and angry at me, a young buck, for daring to see any faults in them since they defended my freedom and since my generation is so much worse than theirs.

Permit me to risk going on. The generation of the sixties of course brought about the free-sex and drug culture. In complete contrast to their parents and grandparents they pushed the limits and celebrated Woodstock which promoted free sex and open drug use. Instead of repenting over such evil and immoral behavior they recently made a movie about it in order to celebrate it. And so it goes down the line. The seventies and eighties openly welcomed the sexual promiscuity and rebellion of the sixties. My generation was no better and even worse, as we neither rejected the sins of our fathers but instead let them become more and more prominent within our society and cities. Those who didn’t fall for the live and let live philosophy either said nothing or many times became proud and arrogant in their complaining about society; so they too fell into the sin of pride. With the invention of the Internet and video phones our children are only giving in to more and more of it and accepting it as a norm of life. It is becoming worse and worse, and we are all just letting it slide to a point.

Paul describes all of it; whether morality or immorality; under the pattern of having a god of the stomach; a mind set on the earthly. If your stomach is your god, it means that what you want; the desires of your flesh; takes precedence over anything that God wants or anyone else wants. The whole world is bound to only think of things in regards to what feels good or what looks good or reasonable. It isn’t that one generation is worse than another; they are all naturally selfish and sinful people. The sin comes out in different ways as the world we live in changes. You don’t need to understand Generation X or Y to see this. Every generation will naturally do what makes itself feel good or look good. The more freedom they have the more they abuse it. It doesn’t matter if we live in America or Russia; the same ugly nature will come out one way or another. If everyone has the “right” to pursue life, liberty, and happiness; then what you see today is that my happiness takes precedence over yours; and I am willing to sue you and accuse you and do whatever I can even “under the law” to get it. This is what Paul says of all people.

Such mind sets make people enemies of the cross. The cross says that such behavior needs to be damned; that God cannot accept you as you are. The cross shows that God is not happy with any generation; they all deserve his wrath and condemnation. Whenever any generation of sinners is condemned under the cross; they become angry and defensive. Instead of getting on their knees they become defensive and like to talk about all of the great sacrifices they made and the good times they had. Instead of admitting that they need a Savior they say that such a religion is foolish and archaic; to say that we need to believe in one Man who happened to be God; who lived and died for us two thousand years ago.

Paul grew up in a generation of Pharisees who thought they were all that and more; they protected the law; they stood for the truth; the rejected the liberalism of the Sadducees; they walked the walk. They did a lot of things “right.” Yet in doing all of that they rejected their need for the Messiah. They lorded their lifestyles over the rest of their society and used it as a way to feel better about themselves. Paul lived like them and sought to kill the carriers of the cross in his pride. But the Lord reached into his heart and showed him what a sinner he was. He showed him true salvation in Christ.

After Paul was converted, he didn’t then show disdain for his generation even after they rejected Jesus. He even said in Romans 9:3, “I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.” So also in today’s text Paul writes to the Philippians that I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. This of course was a reflection of how Jesus felt towards the very people that were going to crucify Him. In our gospel lesson for today it was Jesus who cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Note the passion and the sorrow over what His own countrymen were doing!

Do you have the same compassion and concern for your generation of co-workers, classmates, friends and family who do not believe in Jesus? Or do you think to yourself, “They are getting what they deserve! They had their chance and they rejected it!” What if it were your soul that was on the way to hell? Would you want someone to write you off so quickly? Wouldn’t you rather that those who knew Christ would reach out to you; that they would be honest with you and tell you to repent? But how often do we approach our friends and family this way? How often do we pray for those who are struggling with sin as we would if we were struggling with it?

It is so much easier to blame those who are floundering in sin; to call them ignorant; to look for reasons why they are unbelievers. You see the bum on the side of the road and you say, “I’m sure he’s just an alcoholic.” That may be true, but does that make his soul any less important or valuable to God? The people of Haiti may follow voodoo and live under a corrupt governing system. But that doesn’t make them any more sinful than the rest of the world and it doesn’t mean they deserve the gospel any less than anyone else. Is that our way of washing our hands and keeping them from getting dirty, by looking for reasons to think to ourselves, “That guy deserves it!” That may be true, but didn’t we deserve it too? Wouldn’t we be there also were it not for the grace of God? Instead of bemoaning all of he evils of society, why not cry out to the Lord for mercy on them? Why not spend time following the pattern of Paul and trying to reach out to those who are worshiping their stomachs and headed for destruction?

II. Eagerly await a Savior from heaven

Where does such a mind set come from? It’s rather interesting to talk with someone from a different country and get their perspective on things from politics to morality to home owning and a lot of other things. When they come from a different society they look at things completely differently. They have different goals and different priorities. This is what gave Paul his compassion for those who were lost within his society, and this is what drives us to look at the world with compassion, as Paul said, “But our citizenship is in heaven.” The word for “is” actually can mean that it originates from there or that it has what it needs to survive and live there. Our line of thinking and compassion comes from the place in which we are born and in which we dwell; within the realm of heaven.

This all sounds somewhat cryptic, but the general way that Jesus and Paul speak of this is in spiritual terms, for instance when Jesus said that the “kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus also said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Paul used these same kinds of terms when writing to the Ephesians, referring to Jews and Gentiles as being members and fellow citizens in a hidden kingdom on earth, where Jesus and the Holy Spirit dwell. In other words, when God sends His Holy Spirit into your heart it makes you an alien of earth and a citizen of heaven. All of your thinking is now directed to another place and another person. It is as if you come from a completely different country. You no longer think in terms of earthly rewards and temporal success. Your mind is set on the glories of heaven and the ruler of heaven; Jesus Christ – who also rules in your heart through baptism and faith. You are part of a hidden and yet vocal society of people called Christians. Your speech is different. Your goals are different. Your rules for living are different. Your life style is different because a powerful God is living in you and has taken over your body and soul. You don’t look at this as mind control. You look at it as a gift of God’s grace; not because you have been brain washed, but because your soul has been washed in the blood of Christ. All of this takes place because God has placed you in the citizenship of heaven. Note also that it is a present condition here and now, not just a thing that happens in the future.

This citizenship in heaven is never just a spiritual thing where the Holy Spirit floats around in your brain in an unknown way. He always, always, always brings Christ in the Word. He always talks to you with specific promises of Christ; and these are the things that give you a different mind set. Paul writes, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And 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.” Here we see how the Holy Spirit changes our mind and thinking and gets us focused on a completely different place with a completely different hope. We honestly believe that we have been connected with the God man who is living in the heavens. He has saved us through His death. He paid for our bodies and souls with the sacrifice of His body and the condemnation of His soul. But God raised Him from the dead and declared Him the victor, and He will come again. Even now He has everything under His control in a hidden way. He who bought our body and soul with His blood will come again. On Judgment Day He will transform our lowly bodies that are limited and contaminated with sin; they will be resurrected and brand new. We look at the world as under the condemnation of God; on the way to death; bound to burn. Yet we have been given the guarantee of a resurrection from the dead and a new life with Jesus in heaven. We still know that Jesus is in control.

So here we see the contrast. Unbelievers think they are in control of their own destiny. The world lives to satisfy its own belly; it is driven by what feels good and takes glory in the things it can do to satisfy its sinful nature and do with its corrupt self. Now more than ever the world is flaunting the way it can enhance body parts and use them for every kind of evil imaginable. But we look at our bodies as belonging to God; being bought by God; bound to die and yet preserved for a future resurrection. So this is why we live differently from the world. This is why we behave differently. It’s why our teenagers and young adults resist sexual temptation. It’s why we look at a woman who is willing to sacrifice her body for the birth of a baby as a God pleasing thing. It’s why we praise the man who is willing to sacrifice what he wants in order to serve his wife, children and employer. The Holy Spirit shows us how we belong to God; and how God has put us in the world and given us our bodies to serve other people; not ourselves. It is foreign to the world.

Paul says, Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! Paul doesn’t tell you that you have to go anywhere. God has already come to you and taken up residence in your heart. He has made you a part of the kingdom through baptism. You don’t have to go to the upper room to get baptized with fire; the Holy Spirit has already baptized you with water and given you Christ. You don’t have to climb Mt. Moriah to make your own sacrifice in order to get right with God. Jesus already climbed Golgotha to make you right with God. You don’t have to descend to the depths of hell. Jesus has already suffered that as well. The challenge to Christian living is to be content and happy with what you have in your baptism and through faith; to remain in Christ; right where you are. The devil will constantly want to make you feel like a complete leper in this world; as if this Christianity thing is archaic and outdated. With new and different doctrines he will try to take you off the plantation to more spiritual venues such as Mormonism or some other fad. He will tell you how your Christian morality is too difficult and too outdated, “This is AMERICA after all!” He will tell you how need more water in your baptism or how you need a more full baptism of the Holy Spirit; how what you have is not enough. In the face of all that, Stand firm in the Lord. You already are a citizen of heaven. You already have been declared holy and righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. You already have been baptized. Just stay where you are. Keep in the Word and sacraments. Continue to listen to Paul and the apostles in the Word; and follow their pattern.

I recently heard how the Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow is trying to change his throwing style so that he will be drafted higher in the NFL. I guess someone felt that his throwing style was just fine to win a championship in college but it won’t be good enough to do it in the pros. It’s never easy to change something after you’ve been doing it the same way for years; especially once you are trained to do it that way. Whether it’s cooking, running, shooting a basket, or even writing a sermon; it’s hard to retrain the body or mind to do things differently. Time will tell whether it was worth the risk.

Paul has shown you a different pattern; one that sees and proclaims Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life. The world hates it; it is a completely different style of living outside of the self; but time will tell that this pattern was worth it at the resurrection of the dead. The Jews and Gentiles crucified Jesus for it; and put Paul and Isaiah to death for the same message. But Isaiah didn’t hate them; Jesus didn’t hate them; Paul didn’t hate them; and neither do we. Instead of getting revenge or deciding to follow the way of the world; Paul displays for us a different way; a different mind set; one of compassion and love for the lost; that wants to reach out to them all the more and show them the light; difficult as it may be. Follow the apostolic pattern. Amen.