Where Do I Belong? Philippians 3:17-4:1

Introduction

I love to travel. I’ve never heard of a place that I didn’t want to go. And, when I travel, I typically like to stay as long as I possibly can.

But, here’s what’s interesting: as much as I like to going, doing, and staying, I always look forward to going home. In 2024, our family had the opportunity to go on a trip of a lifetime for us. My church gave me a sabbatical and we spent an entire month traveling out west and visiting national parks. And, it was an absolute blast. Just one epic day after another. I didn’t want it to be over. But I still remember pulling into our driveway after a month away, walking through the front door, and just thinking, “Man… it feels so good to be home.”

Megan and I have always tried to be really intentional about that. We’ve wanted home to be our happiest place. We’ve lived a pretty public life for a long time. Our kids have too. And we’re both pretty introverted by nature. So we’ve worked to make home a refuge. A place where you can just exhale. A place that’s safe. A place that’s easy to be.

And so, whether it’s after our most epic adventures or after our hardest days, home is always where I want to be. So, I love to travel, but I belong at home.

God’s Word

And I think, deep down, every one of us understands that. Because God has wired us with this need to know where we belong. When you know where you belong, you’re able to keep the rest of life, both good and bad, in it’s proper perspective. Belonging grounds your values. It cements your priorities. There’s a real sense in which where you belong determines how you live wherever you go. And, that’s why I think Paul is here and asking: Where is it that you belong? You see, there are Two Types of Churchgoers (headline):

Those who belong “here.”

Philippians 3:17–18 “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

What does it mean to be a Christian? That’s really the core question Paul is addressing here. If you would’ve asked either group that Paul is describing in our text, both groups would’ve said: “We’re Christians, and we believe in Jesus.” Yet, Paul describes one group as being “enemies of the cross” and the other group as “citizens of heaven.” So, you have two groups that are found, not just in the community, but within the church, with one of those groups being presented as sincere believers and others as fraudulent.

(slide) And, this question of what it means to be a Christian becomes a question of self-awareness. Those who claim to know Christ but who are actually enemies of the cross don’t recognize that they are. Jesus told us this would be the case in some of the most chilling words we find anywhere in the gospels in Matthew 7:21–23 ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

These are chilling words. And, both Jesus’ and Paul’s words are meant to bring to us self-awareness so you can know whether you Jesus’ bride or an enemy of his cross. And, it comes down to where it is you most belong. Where is your home? Where is it that grounds your values and cements your priorities.

First, he starts by describing those who may claim Christ but are actually guilty of treason against the kingdom (“enemies of the cross”). That is, they may wear the uniform of Christianity, but they’re actually living for another nation. He describes them as having three anti-gospel, anti-kingdom values that reveal where their loyalties actually lie.

First, they say…

I “can’t” wait.

Philippians 3:19 “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

At its core, faith is about waiting. If everything Jesus promised was already here AND if every question was answered AND if every reward was immediate, you wouldn’t need faith to follow Him. But that’s not how it works. Faith lives in the gap between what I want right now and what Jesus says is actually good and right for me. So there are going to be moments where I feel, want, and even crave something strongly, and Jesus will say, “No, that’s not what’s best for you.” And, your faith will either be revealed by your willingness to delay gratification or it will be betrayed by your unwillingness to wait.

That is, you’re revealing what or who your living for. And that’s why Paul says that for those who are enemies of the cross, “their god is their belly.” They worship their appetites, not Jesus. Their lives are bent toward satisfying their cravings, not Christ. They look at what Christ offers and compare it to what they want now and think, “I can’t wait.”

You see, the people that Paul is describing are people within the church who have a view of the gospel that enables them to do what they want to do and feel justified in doing it. They think, “Jesus paid for this, and I’ve accepted him. So, what difference does it make now?” So, they’re wearing the uniform of the cross, but they’re abusing its power for my personal benefit. It’s treason, and they’re enemies of the cross.

Everyone wants to do what they want to do and feel moral about it. We want to be able to live however and have sex with whomever and indulge ourselves with whatever, while feeling like Jesus has our backs. The cross was given to overcome sin, but we’re tempted to use it to justify sin. And, we see this today, don’t we? In much of today’s Christian culture, you’re not immoral for sinning; you’re immoral for calling sin immoral. We’re told to not be judgmental or un-empathetic or intolerant, or whatever the term is.

But, what’s usually being said is let me believe Jesus the way that I want to believe in him and let me use the cross how I want to use and leave me alone. Well, that isn’t Christianity; that’s belly worship.

The next value he describes the enemies of the cross as saying is…

I “won’t” stop.

Philippians 3:19 “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

What’s not being described here is a person who has found themselves in a pattern of sin that they want to break but are having trouble. He’s not describing a person who is sinning and yet disturbed and heartbroken over their sin. He’s describing a person with no sense of guilt or shame over their sin. Not only are they not repentant; they’re proud of it. “They glory in their shame.”

That is, he’s describing people who consider themselves Christians and yet have zero regrets or shame for living a life that is contrary to the values, ethics, and priorities of the Kingdom. They like the way they’re living and won’t stop. Why? They love their way of life more than they love Jesus. They love their sins more than they treasure the cross.

It’s a type of stolen valor. It’s despicable, isn’t it, when someone puts on the uniform of one of our soldiers and tries to get all of the benefits without any of the sacrifice. And, that’s what we do when we take the name of Christ and desire the benefits of Christ without, at the same time, laying our lives upon the cross of Christ. It’s stolen valor to take up his name, but not his cross, and that’s what we do when we celebrate and enjoy that which crucified him. It’s stolen valor. It’s polluted glory.

The obvious examples of this are when people want to march in parades of pride while bearing the name of Christ or leverage the cross as a means to racial supremacy. But, for most, it’s more insidious than that. It’s when we baptize our low commitment to our church as individualized spirituality, or it’s our unchecked hatred of someone else as inherited or our materialism as being a reward from God. It’s using our confidence and identity in Christ to justify our pride and arrogance. It’s celebrating what shames Jesus as though it’s from him because we don’t want to stop it, and it’s stolen valor.

And, the enemies of the cross summarize all that their live indicate when they say…

I “love” it here.

Philippians 3:19 “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

They may like to visit something of heaven on Sunday, but they really feel at home in the world. This is where they belong. Their “minds are set on earthly things.” Their values are formed here. Their priorities are cemented here. They love it HERE.

Now, I don’t want to overstate my point. Y’all don’t know me well, but I have no desire to bind the consciences followers of Jesus. You’re meant to get married and enjoy your marriage. You’re meant to go to work and find meaning in your work. You’re meant to have children and delight in your children. You’re meant to have friends with whom you laugh and enjoy nature and do fun things. That’s not what’s being critiqued here.

Jesus says that we’re to be in the world but not of the world. So the concern here isn’t a person who is following Jesus living a joyful life. Jesus himself was joyful. The concern here is a worldly person living a worldly life while trying to baptize it as Christianity. And, Paul wants you to be self-aware because “their end is destruction.”

So, how do you know? Well, where do you belong? When I was 14, my mom took my sisters and I on a trip to New York. And, it was quite the cultural experience. I remember ordering a biscuit, them laughing, and handing me a bagel. I had never even seen a bagel before. My accent is still pretty country, but back then, my accent was really strong. And, I remember a whole crowd of people gathering around us at a grocery store and asking us to speak just to hear our accents. When little sister spoke, they said, “Oh the baby has it too!” I think the whole time I was in the city looking up at the buildings and wondering what it would be like to live in such a place.

You know, it was a great trip with a lot of great memories, but I didn’t belong there. My appetites were different. My way of speaking and living was different. My way of life was very different. And, that’s how Christians live here: as visitors from another country. And, that’s how you know if you’re who Paul is talking to: Are you doing what you want when you want, or are you waiting until you make it home? Is Jesus your justification for doing what you really want to do, or is Jesus your motivation and reason for wanting to stop? Does you way of life blend in with the world or only make sense in the Kingdom?

You see, Paul would have us recognize that there are those in the church who belong here, and then there are…

Those who belong “there.”

Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

I love to travel so much that I’m not one who struggles much with homesickness. I wasn’t the kid who called his mom to come get him. I was the kid who asked his mom for another night. But, I do know what homesickness feels like.

I mentioned to you guys a few weeks ago about the time where I came very near to death in Africa. It was an obviously traumatic event with a lot of layers. But, one of my most distinct memories was how badly I wanted to get home. I remember being curled in the fetal position in the backseat of a 15 passenger van for a four hour drive. I couldn’t uncurl, and I knew the situation was different than anything I had experienced before. I called Megan because I thought there was a chance I was saying goodbye to her. After I hung up, I remember thinking and praying the same thing over and over: “Lord, it’s okay if I die and it’s okay if I die doing this, but please let me make it home to see my girls one more time.”

I wanted to be at home more than I wanted my next breath. Paul is describing the Christian life as a type of homesickness here. It’s living here and serving here and working here, but it’s longing to be at home with Christ. We’re living here, but we’re “citizens” there. So, we “await” and anticipate being home with him.

We’re living here, but we’re longing for there.

We’re longing for a “good meal.”

Philippians 3:21 “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.”

Philippians 3:19 “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”

When you’re homesick, one of the most common things you obsess over is the food that you miss. Megan’s grandmother was one of those southern grandmothers that communicates love through calories. You’d pull in her yard, and it immediately just smelled like fried chicken. But, do you know what it really smelled like? Home. There’s a longing for home that only the right meal can satisfy.

You’ve developed a taste for home, and there’s something similar that happens for those whose “citizenship is in heaven.” You see, when Paul says that we’re waiting for Jesus to “transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body,” he’s talking about more than our arms, legs, and skin complexion. There’s a juxtaposition that we can miss if we move to quickly. Remember how he described those who were “enemies of the cross” and not citizens of heaven? “Their god is their belly.” That was a way for him to say that they were led by the flesh. They were led by their taste for the food of the world. So, when he says that their “lowly body” will be transformed, it’s a transformation of the “belly” too.

If you’re in Christ, one day, you’ll fully acquire the taste of heaven. You’ll have no appetite for the tainted food of earth. You’ll see how rotten it is, and it’ll turn your stomach. You’ll only be satisfied by the good food you find at the King’s table.

Until then, we “await” by faith. And, we wait by faith by denying what our belly’s want for what Christ wants. You realize that all of us have disordered desires and appetites, don’t you? All of us want things that contradict what God wants for us. Our “stomachs” tell us we want food that will kill us.

It shows up in really normal ways. It’s when you know you should tell the truth, but you tweak the story just a little because you hunger to be impressive. It’s when you know you should forgive, but holding onto that resentment just feels better in the moment. It’s when you feel the pressure to fit in, so you stay quiet about your faith because you don’t want things to get awkward. It’s when you want to have sex outside of God’s design, and you’re tempted to justify it because of what your body says.

All of us have aberrant, disordered desires. But, the difference between the “enemies of the cross” and the “citizens of heaven” is the willingness to wait by faith until the taste of heaven is fully acquired. It’s the willingness to deny yourself what you desire now because you trust by faith that we’ll be fully satisfied then and that this denial actually promotes our flourishing now.

But, as we long for home, we aren’t just longing for our favorite meal…

We’re longing for the “right clothes.”

Philippians 3:21 “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.”

It’s amazing how much of our feeling of normal and comfort comes from the clothes that we wear, isn’t it? There’s something of that here when he talks about the transformation of our “lowly body” to be like “glorious body.” So, he’s talking about more than just the transformation of the physical body, but that’s included too.

On the other hand, Christians believe that, though the current version of your body is actually you, it is not the finished you. There’s an ultimate, more glorified version coming. In the transfiguration of Christ, they didn’t see a different Christ. They saw the same Christ in his glory. That’ll be the case for you. Your scar tissue will be replaced with new flesh. The emotional debt your brain has been accumulating will be cancelled for good. The disordered neurological and circulatory systems that are always betraying you will be reordered to perfection.

One of the reasons that we’re tempted to “set our minds on earthly things (v.19)” is because we know our bodies are decaying and will soon betray us. So, we think about how short the time is and figure we better live it up while we can. Aging is both a gift and a flashing billboard that displays the decay brought because of sin. But, you have a new body coming. It’ll be better than your current body at its peak. You’ll be dressed up in a way the uncovers God’s image in you. So, you don’t have to live it up now as if you’re going to miss out on the best years. Your best life is coming later. Right now, you don’t feel like your fully yourself, but soon enough you’ll have the right clothes and the right body. Just wait! Just “await” your Savior, Jesus.

We’re longing for our “favorite chair.”

Philippians 3:21–4:1 “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. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

You know, the thing about home is that you have your place. I can already tell you where my dad is going to sit when he gets home from church today. I can tell you the same thing about my father-in-law. And, I know where I’ll sleep through the middle innings of the Braves game this afternoon. It’s established and settled. It’s comforting and disarming. It’s the place I feel most at home and most myself. That’s why nothing cures homesickness like getting to your favorite chair.

That helps us understand the longing of our hearts that we all have to find our place and the reason why they way we respond shows where our home is. When it says that we are being transformed by “the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself,” we’re being reminded that our Savior is the one before whom every knee bows and tongue confesses. He’s ruling, and he’s reigning. His status is settled. And, that means that, if we’re in him, our status is settled too.

Jesus said, “I’m going to prepare a place for you.” Your chair is already waiting for you in heaven, and your chair is throne. So, the call is to stand firm. To wait by faith. To delay gratification. To trust that a good meal and fresh clothes are waiting for you. To not set your mind on earthly things, but to fix your gaze to place of your seat at the Table awaits you. Because, child of God, that’s your home. That’s where you belong. And, it’s not here.