Enduring until your Eschatological End (Philippians 3.20-4:1)

Philippians 3:20-4:1

GBCCR DATE \@ "M/d/yy" 8/24/24

Introduction

Catch- When you hear eschatology and or the end times do you just think about 7 years tribulation and massive world changes, or do you consider what Jesus specifically will do to and for you?

Just like people keep wrongly predicting the day of the rapture and some are discouraged we often get tired of following scripture when it doesn’t produce results

& we love instant pay offs don’t we? I looked at the fridge yesterday, didn’t see anything I didn’t have to make and went for cookie. Why actually crack open a book on something when you can read Wikipedia, right?

Why actually crack open a book on something when you can read Wikipedia, right?

But there is nothing quite a delicious and a slow cooked steak with all the proper marinating, and nothing my wife appreciates more.

*It is great to use Wikipedia for a brief reading, but. -I can read the Wikipedia entry on the Lion, Witch, or Wardrobe, or I can enjoy the story as it unfolds

-I can read the Wikipedia entry on the Lion, Witch, or Wardrobe, or I can enjoy the story as it unfolds

Reading your bible in the morning doesn’t guarantee you a better day or even success over whatever sin your fighting.Reading your bible is actually more about changing the way you think bit by bit every day. Like collecting pennies in your piggy bank every day. Somedays you put in a lot, but most is just one after another.

Reading your bible is actually more about changing the way you think bit by bit every day. Like collecting pennies in your piggy bank every day. Somedays you put in a lot, but most is just one after another.

And the fantastic results of knowing Christ do not always result in a easy and wonderful life now; sometimes its very hard. But the payoff comes in heaven…

And this payoff motivates us to keep stepping today

Review

In chapter 3 Paul is warning his beloved Philippians about dangerous people out there who can take them away from the freedom they have in Christ.

Those who are religious but their religion is a lie

because it focuses on all the things you can do to make God happy rather than accepting the work Jesus did

He reminded them of his past as a Pharisee,

living the best he could

But God revealed to him that is is nothing compared to knowing Jesus.

So he gave it all up for the sake of knowing Christ.

And in verse 17 he called them to follow his example and the same example seen in others.

We spent last week looking at the example of David to follow the biblical path of making decisions

But why do we need to watch Paul?

Because there are other examples out there who take everyone down a very wrong paththeir end is destruction…they are only living to satisfy their desires here and now and thus will only receive what they wanted…the wages of their sin and the wrath of God.

their end is destruction…they are only living to satisfy their desires here and now and thus will only receive what they wanted…the wages of their sin and the wrath of God.

V 20 begins with “for” just like v18

Paul is giving another reason for why they should follow his example and not those who set their minds on earthly things.

He is saying Their end is destruction but our end is far different

The word “our” in greek comes first in the sentence which makes it the emphasized. Imagine it being bolded. Paul is once again bringing himself alongside them, not hovering over like a tyrant leader or a theologian sitting high on his tower….

So let me give you

2 realities of heaven that help you keep going today.

Your hope is bound up in and from heaven (3:20-21)

A believer will feel at home in heaven. (v20)

Expla

The word citizen means governing body, the ones who defend your rights and call for responsibilities.

Remember that philippi was in Asia, but it was a Roman colony, 810 miles away. And that was something they were very proud of.

Roman citizenship gave them many rights, that others who were just conquered by Rome did not have.

-paul used those often stating to those in authorities that he was a Roman citizen and thus had certain rights

But flip back to 1:27- Conduct yourselves worthy literally means live as a citizen.

Being a citizen has responsibilities.

Yes, the philippians would live like Romans, with a roman government, roman buildings, roman style streets, statues, and clothing.

& they were expected to represent Rome’s interests in the East.

Rebellion? They stepped in first

Finances? They paid special taxes.

Just as most of them they were born as roman citizens, so too they were born again as heavenly ones.

The christian’s heavenly citizenship was not cheap in coming to us

1 Corinthians 6:19–20- Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Jesus death paid for them to be made new.

So Paul is reminding them their true allegiance and faithfulness should be directed to God.

Illustration point- You Christian will be most comfortable in heaven

Which you can see a picture of this in our world

It is interesting when you travel internationally, you can tell who the Americans are fairly easily but our clothing, our accents, and just the way we act.

There is a certain discomfort that Americans have around groups of people that doesn’t exist in other countries…. We like our space

But what is fascinating is kids of Americans born oversees who have never lived in the US except for maybe a couple months here or there but act just like looks like those who have lived here all their lives.

Missionary kids who grow up in another continent, but who feel more comfortable with visiting Americans than they do their neighbors.

Yes, they’re American citizens by nature of their birth, but,Where did that come from?

Where did that come from?-from watching the examples of their parents and others who have visited…

-from watching the examples of their parents and others who have visited…

Like they’re most comfortable in America, you should long for the comforts of heaven

Application

Do you feel uncomfortable in this world? Good

Do you know scripture repeatedly states that God allows Crises in our lives to remind you your homes is not here

Corinthians 4:7–8- But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves\

May the discomforts remind you that you living for something different than all of this

We are citizens of two places

Heaven and America

Here in America, we have 4 biblical responsibilities

Romans 13 and Titus 3:1 say we are to obey governing authorities

1 Peter 2:17 tells us to give honor to the king

Jesus tells us to support the government through paying our taxes (Matt 22:21)

And we owe them our papers (1 timothy 2:1-2)

But we see the example of disobedience in Paul and Silas in Acts 16,

The chief magistrates wanted to release him quietly

But Paul said to them, ‘Having beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, they have thrown us into prison. And now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.’”

PAUL DIDN’T OBEY. Instead, he said, “No indeed!” That is an emphatic refusal

Paul didn’t ask for a judge’s permission to refuse, he just invoked his own rights as a citizen.

Paul used these rights to defend the reputation of the gospel and defend other believers in Philippi from this illegal act

Ultimately, being a citizen of heaven takes priority

Peter rightly said to the high priest: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29),

This was the Sanhedrin

Not only religious power but political power at that time.

Yet The Sanhedrin’s command clearly contradicted a command of God

They might be punished, but like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they didn’t care and wouldn’t honor God whatever the result

How do we learn the heavenly citizenship them?

Even though a Christian has never been to heaven, they can live like those from heaven by watching the example of other foreign citizens.

can people tell you’re a citizen of heaven by how you live?

Think of what is typical of those around you.

Parents… is your goal for your kids just to have good grades, good sports, and a comfortable life?Or do you want them to feel like this world is not home?

Or do you want them to feel like this world is not home?

Does those around you retire and say I’ve done my part, time to make life about me?

remember that for a christian there is no such thing as retirement, only a job change.

If you’ve finished your career, not you have the ability to serve in news ways

Why? Because retirement comes when we arrive back in our home.

Or any other way… we must be different

Trans: Christians are not just a citizen abroad on their own without help, but there is a promise of return

A believer will be changed by the one from heaven (vv20b-21)

Explanation

The focus switches from heaven to the one who comes from heaven.

the savior who returned there.

The angels said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:11, NASB95)

Eagerly awaiting is speaks of being unbearably excited =the kind of excitement you can’t stop moving for.

=the kind of excitement you can’t stop moving for.

This is not a passive waiting as Paul stated he is

Transformation is a change… but not a radical change.

Ie: to change a Japanese garden into a Italian garden is to transform, but to change a Japanese garden into a parking lot would be a metamorphosis.

*Just like Jesus could still be recognized after his resurrection, so will any believer.

Marcus will still be the Martcus you know, but better

So what changes?

From the Humble state to be made to look His glory.

Humble means unimpressive but also weak

This is not the good humility of considdring others better

Your body is humble in the sense that it dies and gets sick

From the time of our birth, we are on a path towards death

2 Corinthians 4:16- Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

and in the battle for spiritual things, the spirit is willing by the mind is weak.

Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

We know the difficulty of controlling our lusts, wanting things that are not oursControlling our tongue

Controlling our tongueOvercoming laziness which keeps us out of bed too late or in bed too long

Overcoming laziness which keeps us out of bed too late or in bed too longforgetting to

forgetting to pray..

or as the disciples, running out of energy to pray when its needed.

So we need this Savior to transform us

If you’re not a believer in Christ and you feel the wait of the ways you’ve tried to make yourself right, know you cannot do enough

But Jesus died for you and he will change you.

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2, ESV)

Theolgoain Wayne Grume points out the word “glory” is so frequently used in Scripture of the bright shining radiance that surrounds the presence of God himself,

the same power that causes all the world to bow their knees in 2:10, causes our bodies to be remade to be like his

Like Jesus we will be physical beings

Like Jesus we will be touched

Like Jesus we will eat

Like Jesus we will carry the marks of this life into the next, having our own scars of God’s work

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:49, “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

this term suggests that there will also be a kind of brightness or radiance surrounding our bodies that will be an appropriate outward evidence of the position of exaltation and rule over all creation that God has given to us.

As C.S. Lewis explained, “Remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship… there are no ordinary people.”

And we will have a body like Jesus

"To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3).

Ability to come and go at will (Luke 24:15-16)

Enter locked rooms (Luke 24:36; John 20:19)

A glorious body (Phil 3:20-21 cf. 1 Cor 15:44)

Yet still identifiable as same person (John 20:16; Acts 1:3)

We are not just souls in bodies,

Socrates, for instance, taught that the body was a prison for the soul. Some Greeks taught that matter was evil.

But the bible teaches the body is something good that God will remake

This is personal eschatology referring to Jesus’ rapture

return of Christ "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. . ." (1 Thess 4:1-6)

And we know then there will be a resurrection of dead church saints "The dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 cor 5:52)

And with that rising comes the giving of glorified bodies "We shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:52-53).

Illustration point-We hope in the one coming from heaven

We wait for God to come transform these bodies and fix the issues, we do not bring it about

People who have gotten this wrong have devastating results

Right now in Kenya there are survivors of a doomsday starvation cult beginning to give testimony in the trial of the cult’s leaders

The leader said parents should starve themselves and their children to death so they could meet Jesus. So far, police have found more than 400 bodies, and some people are still missing.

One 9-year-old girl says her parents denied her and her siblings food and water for eight days and began dressing her in what she described as her “death clothes

God doesn’t want us to bring about his return, Christians are to trust him enough to wait for him

Application

Because the body is a good creation of God’s,

abuse of the body is dishonoring to God

This is one reason using drugs that damage the body is wrong

Or physically harming your body is wrong

Because the bodies belong to God and he has plans for them… they are not wastes

And the hope of transformation gives us ability to endure pain now

I hear you talk about the pains and aches of your body

Keep taking steps towards heaven where those pains will be done away with and your body will work like it was always designed

But more importantly for us all… the lowly body doesn’t mostly refer to the aches and pains of joints, back, stomach, brain… but to the aches and pains of our souls.

We long for the day when the fight with sin in done.

So do not give up in the fight! It will come to an end, it will be done!

Trans: and instead of moving us to do nothing, for those who trust Jesus

Your motivation to endure is found from heaven (4:1)

Explanation

Therefore could either a conclusion to chapter 3 or an introduction to chapter 4

Don’t let the chapters trick you, they’re not actually inspired

I think he is finalizing everything he said in chapters 1-3 before we changes topic to address a problem in the church

He stated his same love for them in 1:8, so here he returns to that

Notice how Paul is so greatly encouraged by the Philippians

Paul addresses them as beloved children

The “crown” mentioned here is the wreath of victory or celebration.

The Philippians were his joy as he received favorable reports of their spiritual growth

They were his reward

So, he says in light of everything you’ve heard…. Stand firm

They have just heard a wonderful amount of theology

Paul talks about standing firm this way elsewhere.

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Isn’t it interesting that one of the clearest passages on spiritual warfare tells us to fight Satan by just resisting him?

James 4:6–8- But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

But what does it mean to stand firm then?

as a solider stands firmly in battle,

It means to to resist those influences about which Paul had just warned them, that might undermine their stability.

“in the lord shows obedience is to the king they owe their citizenship.

You need to remember the truth you have been taught, just like a solider or an athlete remembers their training.

Imitate Paul, Watch out of harmful influencesExpect the Lord’s return!

Expect the Lord’s return!

Illustration point- Motivation to endure is found in heaven

It doesn’t make us give in and give up as some say

I talked to someone who told me that since they were taught that Jesus would be coming back in the rapture one day,

So, their wrong desires gave him or her license to sin and

Then later there was sadness to deal with the pain and regret over that sin for a long time

Now they’re against premillennialism because of this history

Instead, because Jesus can return at any moment, we hold fast to his command and we have hope that he will in a moment fulfill every hope we’ve been waiting for

Jesus coming back is motivation to kep going

Application

I think to ooften people want ot do great things for God

We want to win in the world, or you get to the end of your life and you’re frustrated that things have not turned out he way you wanted

but often the little things of just holding on really matter

You just need to stand firm against

What does standing firm look like?

Some, especially those who are promoting needed social change in our world today, say that if you are too heavenly minded it will make you no earthly good.

However, a proper focus on heaven makes us more fruitful in this life.

If we think this life is not all there is, we can work hard now knowing we get rest later

We can give our money knowing we’re storing up treasures in heaven

We endure suffering because we know it is only light momentary affliction

We can follow god even to the grave knowing we will be raised to eternal life

Your hope for heaven should change your goals in this life.

“Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:9, NASB95)

Why?

Gordon Fee says:

despite appearances often to the contrary, God is in control, our salvation is not just for today but forever, Christ is coming again, and at his coming we inherit the final glory that belongs to Christ alone — and to those who are his..

With Paul we would do well not merely to "await" the end, but eagerly to press on toward the goal, since the final prize is but the consummation of what God has already accomplished through the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

One key way is to fulfill the great commandment of loving our neighbor but not fearing our neighbor

We can love them by speaking the truth

ROSARIA BUTTERFIELD, the former lesbian professor now chrsitian writer and pastor’s wife said back 1999 she would have loved to hear

, “Yes, I can have Jesus and my girlfriend. Yes, I can flourish both in my tenured academic discipline (queer theory and English literature and culture) and in my church. My emotional vertigo could find normal once again.”

Maybe it would go differently for me than it did for Paul, Daniel, David, and Jeremiah. Maybe Jesus could save me without afflicting me. Maybe the Lord would give to me respectable crosses (Matt. 16:24). Manageable thorns (2 Cor. 12:7).

But, “The cross symbolizes what it means to die to self. We die so that we can be born again in and through Jesus, by repenting of our sin (even the unchosen ones) and putting our faith in Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation.”

It is loving to hold the line on our own sin and proclaim to others, that following Jesus is worth taking our identity from Him instead.

WE can say to family members, “I want you to be happy. But I believe that happiness does not come outside of God's will, but only inside it.”

Therefore

Since we have seen (Cohesion)-

Your hope will be found in heaven as that is your true home

you know Jesus will come from heaven to make you right again

So, because of your faith in this truth, you can endure, fighting through everything in this life

We know we must be discontent in this life and content with God’s plan

Charles Spurgeon once said, “The Christian is the most contented man in the world, but he is the least contented with the world. He is like a traveler in an inn, perfectly satisfied with the inn and its accommodation, considering it as an inn, but putting quite out of all consideration the idea of making it his home”

Citizenship

You can tell those who have transferred their citizenship in name or in heart.

I know some of you have family who immigrated here from another country.

And you can tell those who just long be be back home, right?

They go every vacation they can get & they’re there for long times

And then there are those who have no real desire to be there

You can them if they want to go back and they say, yeah… maybe someday, but there are no plans

So we need to long for heaven, make plans for heaven… live as if we’ve purchased tickets there

Closing prayer

Lord, please show us how to endure through all pressure and follow you

Happy are they who are Christ's, in him at peace with thee, justified from all things, delivered from coming wrath, made heirs of future glory;

Give me such deadness to the world, such love to the Saviour, such attachment to his house, such devotedness to his service, as proves me a subject of his salvation.

May every part of my character and conduct

make a serious and amiable impression on others, and impel them to ask the way to the master.

We pray as John did, Come lord jesus.