Philippians 3:15-21 - Citizens or Enemies

Philippians chapter 3 verse 15 to verse 21.

Philippians 3:15

All of us then who are mature should take such a view of things.

And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters,

and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

For as I have often told you before and now tell you 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 set on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven,

and we eagerly await a saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

He 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.

Great, thanks, sir. Over to you.

Thank you.

Really appreciate you guys coming tonight.

It is an honor to be here.

Steve, you kind of set me up great with all those questions,

so we're going to go right into the introduction.

As he was reading there, as he says, on page 1180,

make sure that you're there.

We're going to refer back to the scripture just a few times here today,

so I want you to see that it is in there.

So as was mentioned, I am not from here.

I am from the United States, from a small state called Arkansas.

And, well, I've lived in London now with my wife for three years,

as this kind of already established.

And one of the things that Megan and I truly love about London is leaving.

I say that jokingly.

I love the cheap flights out of London specifically.

My wife and I specialize in that 6 a.m. special from Stansted Airport.

You know, the London airport of Stansted.

You have to travel an hour and a half to get to.

We can leave, and, you know, you have to leave.

You've got to get there early, so you're leaving like 2, 3 a.m.

But honestly, it's not that bad because you have certain anticipation of where you're going, right?

You are ready and excited to go on holiday for wherever you're going.

The problem is that normally if you take the cheap flight out,

you're also taking the cheap flight back.

And there's no anticipation and excitement when you're coming back in.

You just want to be home.

Most of the time, when I go, I've spent too much money.

I'm not well rested.

I've tried to do too many things and packed into a short amount of time.

And I just really want to sleep in my own bed.

I don't know if that's just me in here.

So all of these things can add up for just wanting to get home quick.

That is why I am thankful.

If you've traveled recently, you know I'm thankful for this invention right here.

That is the automatic passport gate.

And so if you've traveled, you've seen these, and if you've used one,

basically you just walk up to the machine, put your passport on the scanner.

It scans you, takes a picture of you.

10, 15 seconds, you're in, you're out.

They are amazing.

Because you just want to be home.

You know, you just want to get through and be home.

But if you've also been to an airport before,

you realize that not everybody gets to go to these gates, right?

There are some people that go towards the automatic gates,

and there's other people that have to have their passport checked by border control.

And when my wife and I moved here, this actually happened to her, not to me,

but it happened to her.

So when we moved in, she goes up to the border control,

the automatic border control gates, puts her passport on,

and it goes, you got to go see the border control guy.

And so after initial panic of, oh no, what did I do wrong?

Megan starts, walks over to the border control guy,

talks to him for a while, and then comes back.

I got through, so I was just waiting on her.

So after she comes up, it's like, what happened?

Are you a threat to national security?

They said, no, when I came, basically they had to verify my visa.

This is the first time that her and I had ever come into the country,

so they need to verify her visa.

But see, if you're a UK citizen,

then you can automatically go through the gates.

You can go through the automatic gates, it doesn't matter.

Why?

Well, it's because you have the right to be here.

You belong.

See, when Megan and I moved from the United States

to the United Kingdom, we had to have permission.

Basically, the UK government looked at us and said,

what can you bring to the table for us to take you in, right?

Are you going to be a burden?

Or are you going to be a benefit to our country and our society?

See, citizens don't have to answer that question.

You're either born into the community or you earned it from staying here or one other way.

You get to be here.

You don't have to answer that question.

And that's what Paul is going to say in this passage.

See, citizens get to inherit the benefits of the society.

And Paul is saying that citizens of heaven are going to get to inherit certain benefits.

But there's also other people that actually live their life in opposition.

And so in order to kind of grasp what Paul is saying here in Philippians chapter 3,

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

we're going to divide this into two categories.

There's supposed to be something else in there, but that's okay.

Citizens and enemies.

So you're going to have two categories if you're taking notes.

Citizens and enemies.

But before we get into that, let me pray for us one more time.

And then we'll dive in to the text.

Father in heaven, thank you so much for today.

I thank you for the opportunity to get to preach.

Father, I pray that I be the hands and feet of you,

that these would not be my words spoken, that they would be yours.

Lord, and I pray, Lord, that you just use me.

Pray that I be concise and clear.

I pray all of this in your name.

Amen.

So we're going to start with citizens because that's where Paul starts.

There's two marks of a citizen if you look in verse 15 through 17.

The first part, some things are not coming up there, but that's okay.

The first part is sanctification.

That's the word that's missing in that slide.

We'll get that figured out.

But sanctification is what Paul is saying,

and he's saying becoming more like Jesus.

That's just the simple word.

Sanctification can be a churchy word.

It just means becoming more like Jesus.

And if you look at the text, we get this from the text.

Look at verse 15.

Paul says, if you are mature,

you take such a view of things.

And when he says you have this mature viewpoint,

what does he mean by mature?

Well, we have to understand, like, who is Paul talking about here?

We let the text define the text.

In verse 12, the Greek word for mature

is the same one in verse 15 that's translated as perfect.

It's translated perfect in verse 12, sorry.

So the Greek word mature in verse 15 is translated perfect in verse 12.

So then we have to understand, okay, so what does Paul mean by perfect?

We're kind of diving down here.

Don't worry, we'll come back up.

But Paul says in verse 14 that,

and he explains what it means to be made perfect.

He says, I press on towards the goal to win the prize

for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

So basically, what we're talking about here is a mark,

the first mark of a citizen is one that presses on with a heavenward look.

Not focused on earthly things,

but focused on what is going to happen

and what the Lord has promised in heaven.

So now that we understand, like, what this mature believer is,

we also need to understand what Paul is saying

when he says such a view of things.

Again, the previous verses are going to help us understand.

We don't take the text just out of context, but in context.

That's why context is keen.

In verse 7 through 14, Paul says, if you look heavenward,

this life of a person that has such a view of things

looks heavenward and is not focused on the earthly.

This is capped in verse 10 when Paul says,

I want to know Christ,

yet to know the power of his resurrection

and participation in his sufferings,

I got to become like him in his death.

So citizens have eyes on their heavenly gain,

not earthly reward.

Basically, again, as I've kind of used the picture,

focused up here, not on things that are happening.

That's the first mark of a citizen.

The second mark of a citizen is one that holds true.

Yeah, no.

One that holds true to the things that have been attained.

If you look in your Bible at verse 16,

as I said, look back there,

Paul says, live up to.

Those three words in our English NIV translation

is the Greek word stoiken.

And what that means, it literally means to follow.

You see, this was a military term

that kind of describes following in a line.

If you want to think about it,

it's kind of like this picture here.

Think about soldiers that are in sync

when they're marching.

So this would have been a vivid picture

for the Philippians, if you think about it.

So the Philippians in Philippi was a Roman colony.

What that means is that they were a Greek colony,

they got captured.

Rome made them a Roman colony,

and a lot of veterans of the war

decided to take land in Philippi.

So there was a lot of veterans

and a lot of Roman soldiers.

So the people of Philippi

would have been very understanding

of this picture here,

of soldiers marching to and fro.

And so these soldiers of Rome,

you know, this is a picture

of the Royal Guard in London.

But the picture in Rome,

this was also what they've been doing,

walking step in step with each other.

So you think about it,

there's a Roman historian named Vegetus.

And in this,

he wrote this three-volume manuscript.

And basically,

he talks about this stoicing,

of this marching,

of the Roman Empire,

and how, of the Roman,

sorry, not the Roman Empire,

the Roman soldiers,

and how important it was.

He says in that manuscript

that the constant practice

of marching quick and together,

and nothing is more of constant,

consequence either on the march

or in the line,

than that they should keep their ranks

with the greatest exactness.

For troops who march

in an irregular and disorderly manner

are always in great danger

of being defeated.

So what is Paul saying

when he's using this Greek word stoiken?

He's saying that citizens hold true.

They stay in step with the words of Jesus

or they will fall apart.

So it's basically,

Paul is saying that there's a picture here.

And in verse 17,

he's going to explain it further

if you look in the text.

Join with me in the example

that I laid out.

Paul is not being boastful here.

He's not saying he's got it all figured out.

In fact, again, context.

In verse 13, he says,

I have not taken a hold of this completely.

But that picture of stoiken

basically is Paul standing here

and he's writing a letter

to the Philippians saying,

follow in my footsteps.

Be in step line with me

right behind me.

Why?

Because I'm following Jesus in front.

I'm step, line, and hill.

Paul is saying we all need to be

in one line together,

like the soldiers.

And so basically,

if you're not in line,

what did the Roman vegetus,

what did the Roman tactician say?

You're going to fall apart.

And so that naturally leads

into Paul's next argument.

So you have citizens of heaven,

but then you also have enemies of the cross.

In verse 18, we get this second category.

So look back at verse 18.

It says,

For as I often told you before,

and I'll tell you 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 set on earthly things.

So who's Paul talking about here?

Well, we don't know for sure,

but a lot of historians think

that Paul is talking about Christians

that were in the Philippian community

that had fallen away.

And Paul describes them

as people that their stomach is their God,

they glory in their shame,

and their mind is set on earthly things.

Does this sound familiar?

Sounds a lot like London, doesn't it?

The stomach is their God.

Another way of saying that

is their desires rule them.

They're never satisfied.

It could be sexual desires.

It could be power desires.

It could be money desires.

Whatever it is,

they think if it's good for them,

they should just do it.

Is that not what society is telling us around this?

What about the next part?

Glory in their shame.

Anybody watch any rubbish TV lately?

Like, whatever the Kardashians are doing,

I can't keep up with them.

Or, you know, Love Island or any of that.

Those shows thrive off of the dysfunction.

That's what's bringing people to those shows

is to see how absolutely dysfunctional it can get, right?

And I'm not shaming anybody here.

I've seen those things.

But that's what makes them popular.

They're actually getting glory for their shame.

And if you look at verse 19,

there's, Paul says,

their minds are set on earthly things.

Whatever that is,

one more pay rise,

one more relationship,

one more emotional or spiritual or physical high.

Just one more.

That's just what they want.

One more something.

That'll bring me fulfillment.

And this is quintessential London.

I mean, every time you get on the tube,

what is society trying to push you

with the advertisements?

Every time you open up your phone,

get on social media,

turn on the TV,

what is society trying to tell you?

I'm trying to tell you this.

This is a picture I took

just in a shop the other day.

Loving yourself is the best thing you can do.

You are the foremost authority on your life.

Do what makes you happy.

Your desires are right.

You do you is the classic phrase

for this type of society, right?

The British missionary to India,

Leslie Newbigin,

he described this as pluralism.

And he defines pluralism

as there is no right or wrong styles of life.

Perhaps the only thing that is really wrong

is condemning as wrong

the lifestyle of another

in the field of personal values,

pluralism reigns.

There is no right or wrong.

If it feels good,

do it.

Can I level with you here for a second?

Nobody actually believes this.

You're saying,

you spent five minutes explaining it.

What do you mean nobody believes this?

Let me tell you.

Follow my thinking here for a second.

As was mentioned earlier,

I'm an American, right?

And like the rest of the world,

except for any place that Britain colonized,

Americans drive on the right side of the road, right?

So whenever I drive,

I get in my car,

I want to drive on the right side of the road.

I desire it.

I want it.

It's the way that I was taught.

It's the way I believe to be right.

And a majority of countries do it that way.

So what would you say

if we hopped in the car

to go on a road trip somewhere

and I said,

great, I'll drive

and hopped in

and started driving on the right side of the road.

The first thing would probably be,

the joke would be on me

because I would get in

on the left-hand side of the car

thinking that's where the steering wheel would be

instead of the right.

But if, say, I got that right

and I was driving us straight into traffic,

head-on collision incoming,

what would you say?

You'd say I'm a lunatic, right?

You would say I'm crazy.

You'd say I have a death wish.

And hopefully,

you would take the wheel

before my driving

kills you, me,

and whoever else is in that other car, right?

You would say,

I'm wrong.

See, my feelings

do not matter

when it comes to life or death.

There is an absolute right

and there is an absolute wrong.

So we're new to this relationship, right?

It's the first time I've gotten to speak here.

We'll see if it's my last.

I want to make a slightly bold statement here.

Our feelings, friends,

do not matter

when it comes to the merger

of our two churches.

Let me clarify

so that nobody mishears me.

This is the prominent thing

that's happening

in our church culture right now, right?

When I say our,

I mean it.

The people of West Kilburn Baptist Church,

the people of Redeemer Queens Park,

our preferences,

our feelings,

do not matter

when it comes to the merger.

What does matter?

That's the question

that we need to be asking, right,

in all of this.

And it's the Lord and His mission.

Do you know

what the mission of God is?

I had somebody ask me

this question recently

and I said,

absolutely I know

what the mission of God is.

And I said,

it's the Great Commission.

Yeah, yeah,

it's the Great Commission.

Love the Lord your God with all,

nope, sorry,

that's the wrong one.

Make disciples,

baptize them,

and teach them, right?

I was wrong.

And not that

the Great Commission

isn't a part

of the mission of God.

But the mission of God

is to bring glory

to Himself.

Bringing glory to God

matters over everything

that we can do.

As a people of Christ,

we have to determine

if we are going to live

our lives

as citizens of heaven

by bringing glory to God

or if we're going to live

our lives as enemies

of the cross

doing what we want to do,

what we feel

is right and wrong.

So in our specific instance,

as two Bible-believing churches

that want to bring

the glory of God

in Queen's Park

and Kilburn,

what does that look like?

Well, it looks like

having a faithful gospel witness

that is not just surviving

in this community,

but is thriving.

Guys, this is a picture

that we can all get behind, right?

This is a part of a community

that becomes such a part,

a gospel community

that becomes such a part

of the Queen's Park

and Kilburn community

that people cannot imagine

a time

when this church

was not reaching

the people of God

and was not a benefit

to their community.

I can't imagine

a time

when we weren't here

serving them

and bringing them

the good news

of great joy

that will be

for all people.

So how does this

get accomplished?

That's to be determined.

I don't know.

Could be emerged,

could not be.

But I pray

that our feelings

would not make this decision

because our feelings

can change really quick.

Just a moment

of personal awareness

for the three people

in the room

from Redeemer.

I'm going to be speaking

on behalf of us here

so that you can go up to them

and ask if I'm wrong.

But a moment

of personal awareness.

Your feelings

can change quickly

because I've been a part

of Redeemer

for three years now.

I know there's some

things about us

that we have some faults.

We're pretty loud.

We're not very tidy.

And we're young,

but we're old enough

to think that we know

what we're doing.

Right?

Kind of like a teenager.

And it won't take

but two weeks

if the merger does happen

for somebody,

for the flesh of yourself

to go,

this was a bad idea.

But in all of this,

what is the Lord saying?

What is going to bring him

the most glory?

That's the question

we have to ask.

And if we go back

to the passage

as we're looking through,

Paul does not leave it here.

He does not say,

hey, there's two camps.

There's enemies

and there's citizens.

Hope you find the right one.

Good luck.

And walk away.

No.

Paul says there's

a great promise for us.

And if you look at

verses 20 and 21,

we'll unpack it.

Verse 20 says,

but 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.

Kind of go back

to the illustration

of border control.

There we go.

When Megan and I

entered the country,

what was the question

they asked?

What can you

bring to the table?

What can you bring

to the table?

How does Paul say

that we become

citizens of heaven here?

Look at 17.

Paul says,

follow his example.

And what is Paul's example?

Well, it's not a what,

it's a who.

It's Jesus Christ.

Jesus is a perfect example.

So again,

that picture of stoic in there,

Paul is saying,

follow me

as I follow Christ,

the perfect example.

So you're behind me,

Philippians.

Look ahead to a Christ.

This marching in line

that Paul is showing

the Philippians.

And so,

how do we

inherit citizenship

in heaven?

And that's what,

that's what this sermon

has all been leading up to,

right?

Well, you got to live

a perfect life.

You got to follow perfectly

the example that Jesus

has set, right?

You got to have,

be perfect in your relationship,

perfect in your finances,

perfect in your personal life,

perfect in your moral life.

You want to be citizens of heaven?

You better bring perfection

to life.

Or,

you better be perfect in life,

or else you're not getting in.

Anybody else

feel like the weight

of the world

just kind of descend

on your shoulders?

Anybody else get a little nervous

that I was going to leave it there?

Paul was one of the most

holy men

in the New Testament.

He left everything he knew

to go spread the gospel

to the Gentiles,

and he could not live up

to this expectation

of being perfect.

Friends,

I cannot live up

to this expectation

of being perfect.

You cannot live up

to this expectation

of being perfect.

But there is good news.

It's called the gospel.

See,

Jesus taking our,

had a reward

for living that perfect life,

which was heaven,

but instead of taking it,

he died the death

that you and I deserve

so that we could have

eternal life with him.

And in the best deal

in human history,

we basically get to swap places,

and now we get

the reward

that was promised

to Jesus

while Jesus took

our punishment.

But he did not remain dead

because he defeated death

three days later,

and so now,

if we say yes to Jesus,

say,

Jesus,

I trust you,

I believe that this is true,

I want to enter

into a relationship with you,

and I want to see

my life change

in that process

of sanctification

that Paul was talking about

in verses 15 to 17,

then we can get

that reward

that Jesus had.

And it's because of grace.

Nothing we did

but what God

has done for us.

If you look at verse 20,

it says,

we eagerly await

a Savior in heaven.

There will be a day

when it is too late

to become

a citizen of heaven.

There will be a day

when we die

that we stand

before a big gate.

And unlike border control,

they're not going to ask you

what did you do

to deserve to be here?

What can you bring

to the table?

They're going to ask

who did you know?

If you do not know Jesus,

you're going to spend

eternity away

from his presence

in a real place

called hell.

And that is the choice

that is laid before us today

and before everyone

that we know

are you going to be

a citizen of heaven

that walks differently,

talks differently,

and speaks differently?

Are you going to be

an enemy

of the cross?

Living in your own feelings,

following your own heart.

That's the question

that's for us today.

That's the question

we have to answer

in our own hearts.

And all of our friends

have to answer as well.

Let's pray.

Father in heaven,

thank you for today.

Thank you for the opportunity

to preach, Lord.

Again,

I pray that

any words that

may have been confusing,

Lord,

that you clarify them

or take them away.

Father,

I pray that

your word

would be prominent

through all of this.

In your name.

Amen.

God love you.

Amen.

Thank you.

Very�-

Thank you.

God bless you.

God bless you,

God bless you.

Most of this

know,

heart and ouvệnh

all of this

areamazia.

All of this

have to stay

for me,

God bless you.

Holy of thing.

God bless you.

Thank you.

God bless you.

All of this

may be

God bless you.

God bless you.

God bless you.

You can call us

and God bless you.