A Call to Follow Paul’s Example of Commitment to Jesus As Lord (Phil. 3:17-21)

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A Call to Follow Paul’s Example of Commitment to Jesus As Lord (Phil. 3:17-21)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on October 8, 2023

One day a man was talking to an angel. The angel said, “What can I do for you?” The man said, “Show me the Wall Street Journal one year from today. This way, I will know where to invest and will become a multimillionaire.” The angel snapped his fingers and out came a Wall Street Journal marked one year in advance of the date when they were talking. The man flipped the pages of the newspaper, studying the listings and observing which stocks would be high and which ones would be low. But in the midst of his joy, a frown came upon his face and tears began to roll down his eyes because when he looked over on the next page, he saw his face. His picture was in the paper under the obituary column.

You see, this life can only offer you so much. Unless you live now in light of eternity, you are going to waste time focusing on the things of this earth. Enjoy your life, but as a Christian focused on the things that matter to God.[1]

Today, we come to a passage in Philippians encouraging us to follow Christ with an eternal perspective. We are citizens of heaven!

My theme today is:

A Call to Follow Paul’s Example of Commitment to Jesus As Lord

  1. Context:
    1. In Philippians 1:1-11, Paul greets them and prays for the Philippians.
    2. In Philippians 1:12-18, Paul writes that his imprisonment has meant progress for the gospel.
    3. In Philippians 1:19-26, Paul writes about how he will live for Christ.
    4. In Philippians 1:27-30, Paul encourages them to walk worthy of the gospel.
    5. In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul wrote about unity and self-sacrificial behavior.
    6. In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul gave the example of Christ.
    7. In Philippians 2:12-18, Paul wrote about Christian behavior.
    8. In Philippians 2:19-24, Paul gave the example of Timothy.
    9. In Philippians 2:25-30, Paul gives the example of Epaphroditus.
    10. In Philippians 3:1, Paul exhorted them to rejoice in the Lord.
    11. In Philippians 3:2-11, Paul exhorted them that our salvation is in Christ alone.
    12. In Philippians 3:12-16, Paul wrote about progress in the gospel through Christ and not through the Law.
    13. This brings us to today’s passage.
  2. Follow Paul’s example of perseverance (Phil. 3:17).
    1. Philippians 3:17 (ESV)
    2. 17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
    3. Paul addresses them as “brothers,” or “brothers and sisters.”
    4. That is really good familial language.
    5. Paul writes to join in imitating him, but why? That can sound a little arrogant, can’t it? But remember in Phil. 3:12 he had written that he has not arrived yet, but he pressed on. In Phil. 3:13-14 Paul repeated how he strains forward and presses on.
    6. He was striving for holiness. He was striving for Jesus. He was striving to be conformed to Christ’s image. He wrote about that in Phil. 3:10-12.
    7. Paul is pressing on in his relationship with Christ. Paul wanted to be like Christ in suffering and death.
    8. He is imitating Christ, and we are to imitate him.
    9. In 1 Cor. 11:1, Paul wrote to imitate him as he imitates Christ, and that is the idea right here.
    10. Paul continues to write, “Keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in ‘us.’” Who is the “us”? I think it is Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. In Phil. 1:1 Paul referenced Timothy as a co-writer, and we know he has referenced Epaphroditus.
    11. I believe in the next few verses Paul is going to share more about his concerns.
    12. So, following the right example matters, correct?
    13. We must follow good examples.
    14. Do you know that your brains literally change based on those you are around? It is true.
    15. Our brains literally change to be like those we are hanging out with.
    16. Paul was concerned about people who thought they needed to follow the law and get their righteousness from the Old Testament law. Paul wanted to make sure they followed the correct examples, the good example, and not people who were teaching incorrect doctrine. Again, we will see that in the next few verses.
    17. That is still true today.
    18. It is bad doctrine that hurts the church more than anything else.
  3. Others are enemies of the cross (Phil. 3:18-19).
    1. Philippians 3:18–19 (ESV)
    2. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
    3. Now, Paul explains more of his concern.
    4. “for” is an explanatory conjunction: A conjunction used to introduce an explanation of a previously mentioned sentential element. (References:BDF n/a; Wallace p. 673; Smyth §2808-2809, 2811.)[2]
    5. He writes that “many” are enemies of the cross of Christ.
    6. He writes that he has told them about these enemies, and he has told them with tears.
    7. He has told them often about these enemies of the cross of Christ.
    8. How does one become an enemy of the cross of Christ?
    9. Remember the 3 most important words in Bible interpretation. Context, context, context. Remember, as I have stated in the previous verses, Phil. 3:2-11 were about people who thought they could earn their righteousness. Remember, the Apostle Paul boasted of righteousness; he could even more so. However, Paul counts all those achievements as excrement.
    10. So, teaching and promoting false teaching makes us enemies of the cross.
    11. In verse 19, Paul builds on this.
    12. Their end is destruction: for people who do not know Christ, their end is destruction (1 Thess. 1:9-10; Romans 5:9; Matthew 7:13; Matthew 5:29-30; Rev. 14:9-11; 17:8; 19:20). That is why we must share the Gospel.
    13. Further, people who are teachers will be judged by a stricter standard (James 3:1).
    14. People teaching false doctrine will even have a more severe judgment (Matthew 18:6).
    15. Their god is their belly…
    16. They glory in their shame…
    17. Their mind is set on earthly things…
    18. This is a succinct description of the lost person.
    19. They are a slave to their appetites, whether their belly or otherwise.
  4. Our citizenship is in Heaven (Phil. 3:20-21).
    1. Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV): 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
    1. Now, Paul contrasts those of the world with Christians.
    2. “But” is marking a contrast.
    3. Our citizenship is in heaven.
    4. We as Christians are citizens of heaven (Col. 3:1ff; 1 John 3:1).
    5. We are adopted into God’s family (1 John 3:1).
    6. We are awaiting Jesus’ return (1 Cor. 15:12-28).
    7. Jesus will transform our bodies. Notice how he says, “lowly body.” That is because we will then have a glorious body. In contrast to our resurrected bodies, we have lowly bodies.
    8. IVP BBC: Paul’s view of the resurrection is that it involves the body, but one distinct in nature from the current body (Greek culture considered the idea of a bodily resurrection vulgar superstition). As in Judaism, the resurrection occurs at the time of the ultimate battle, when God subordinates all his enemies (cf. also 1 Cor 15:25–28).[3]
    9. Jesus will do this by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself.
    10. Jesus has the power. Remember Phil. 2:9-11? All creation bows to Jesus (see also Col. 1:15-20).

A man died and went to heaven. Saint Peter met him at the gate. The man wanted to know what the value system was in heaven. He said, “Peter, how much is a minute worth up here?” Peter said, “Well, in heaven, a minute is worth a million years.” The man excitedly said, “Whoa! Well, then, how much is a nickel worth up here?” Peter said, “Well, up here, a nickel is worth a million dollars.” He said, “WHOA! Well, Peter, can I have a nickel?” Peter said, “Yeah, in a minute.”

It’s all about your value system. It’s all about what you’re looking at.[4]

Applications:

    1. Are we following good examples (Phil. 3:17)?
    2. Paul was concerned that we follow his example and follow the examples of those who are teaching similarly. Are we being careful of who is influencing us (Phil. 3:17)?
    3. Are we an enemy of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18)?
    4. Are we staying faithful to proper Christian teaching? Are we thinking that we can earn our righteousness? Are we straining forward in the gospel (Phil. 3:12-16)?
    5. Paul told them with tears of the enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18). Are we warning people of those who go wayward of the gospel?
    6. Does it bother us to the point of tears or affect our emotions when someone is wayward? Paul warned them with tears (Phil. 3:18).
    7. Are we encouraged by our citizenship in heaven (Phil. 3:20)?
    8. Are we encouraged that Jesus will transform our body to a glorious body (Phil. 3:21)?
    9. Do we know that Jesus will subject all things to Himself (Phil. 3:21)

The reflection from the sun is supposed to let us see the brilliance of the moon, which has no light of its own. The moon is dark 24/7. The sun reflects off of the moon so that the beautiful moon is actually the result of the work of the sun.

Now on some days we can see a full moon, on other days we can see a half moon. On yet another day, only a quarter of the moon is visible, and then at times we can’t see the moon at all. How come we don’t always get the full moon? Because whenever there is less than a full moon, it means the Earth is in the way. The Earth has gotten between a portion of the moon and the sun. The moon’s reflection is interrupted as Earth moves in its orbit. Earth simply keeps getting in the way.

Many of us are not able to move forward in our lives, because Earth keeps getting in the way. We are so focused on time, and so foggy about eternity, that the benefits of eternity are not able to penetrate the realities of time and we are stuck with what we see.[5]

Prayer

[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 87.

[2] Albert L. Lukaszewski, The Lexham Syntactic Greek New Testament Glossary (Lexham Press, 2007).

[3] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Php 3:21.

[4] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 88.

[5] Ibid.

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