Citizens of Heaven

Intro

Philippians 3:12-21

If we were to sit and write a story based on the adventures of our lives, I wonder what stories would be told. What stories would be skipped? When I was growing up, I loved comic books and the stories and art captivated my imagination in a way that movies based on those same stories just can’t get right. And a good origin story for a comic book superhero is an essential part of launching something that keeps going instead of fizzling out right from the start.

For some of us, our origin stories tell a very different story from where we find ourselves today. The beauty of a testimony is the journey of our lives and how God has changed our destiny. Next Sunday will be a baptism Sunday and we will hear several testimonies as part of our service then.

Today, we continue to consider Paul’s testimony, remembering his story of faith from radical Jewish Pharisee to devout follower of Jesus Christ. And as we will see from the text today, Paul encourages the Philippians to continue to strive towards spiritual maturity and to continue down the path of faith that God is leading each of us on. Paul’s journey, storied though it may be, was still incomplete by the writing of the letter to the Philippians and he is careful to remind his readers of this fact. He has not yet reached perfection, but trusts and knows that the perfection will come with the return of Christ.

Our plan for today is to look at the text and to discover how Paul presses on even though he has not yet attained that perfection. We will closely examine Paul’s exhortation for the Philippians to attain spiritual maturity, even as they follow his example, just as Paul follows Christ’s example. And finally, we need to understand that our citizenship is in heaven, not here on earth. We are foreigners in a strange land. We ought to stand out as different, as strange. It is all part of the complete transformation that a believer in Jesus experiences after conversion.

Main thought: As citizens of heaven, we are to be different than those around us. So different, in fact, that others see and take note and want to know what makes us different!

Not Yet… But Pressing On

Philippians 3:12–14 NASB95

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

It can be easy to see our Christian mentors as perfect… We put them on a pedastal and think to ourselves that they are worth emulating. If we could only be like them, we would be doing really good.

The problem with this thinking is that the people we put on those pedastals are still human. The pastor is not perfect. Shocking, right? I may say that tongue in cheek, but at the same time, I want everybody to be aware of my fallen humanity… my proneness to error.

Paul was like this. Despite his storied past and his radical turn around, he matured in his faith quickly and became numbered among the apostles in terms of leadership within the church. There would have been people who held him in such high regard that they would have seen him as an example of Christian perfection. Paul however, knows that such couldn’t be further from the truth. Paul was all too aware of his own sinfulness and how far from perfection he truly was. And so, he dedicates this portion of the letter to bursting that bubble in such a way as to encourage all believers to press on and strive for the perfection that will only come when Christ returns.

“Not that I have already obained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Verse 12).

Paul hasn’t achieved perfection, but he strives for that state… he presses on as though it were a goal he can truly achieve in this life.

Verse 13 reveals that Paul was very aware of his past. A broken past can become a stumbling block on the path of our growth if we allow it to. How many of us know people who are bogged down by the thought that “God could never love someone like me?” It’s born out of a guilty conscience that doesn’t fully understand the grace and mercy of God. Let me say that again. If we don’t think that God could forgive us for our sins, we don’t understand the depth of His love or the completeness of His grace and mercy. He can forgive us for those sins because He is God… sovereign over even our own attitudes and opinions of ourselves.

We could never do enough to earn salvation, but praise God that we don’t have to. Jesus has done enough on our behalf. Instead, focus our efforts (our capacity to do good) on striving to become more like Christ. Paul puts it this way in Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Attain Maturity… Paul’s Example

Philippians 3:15–17 NASB95

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

Here we see Paul appealing to those who have made the effort, who have striven for perfection. He trusts that God is in control and will correct anything that needs correction, particularly as people strive for maturity in Christ.

And it is that maturity that should be drawing our attention. That is the goal of ministry. We want to mature in our faith because it gives us a better perspective on what God is doing in our midst.

By maturing in our faith, we acknowledge that Christ is worthy of all praise and effort and that we can strive for that standard of living in every area of our lives.

Paul then encourages them to follow his own example. This can be a dangerous thing because it requires that we invite scrutiny into our lives. If I tell you to follow me, that means you will be looking at me and my every move. That means that you are more likely to notice my mistakes and sin. But the mature in faith acknowledge their shortcomings… they try to get off of any pedastal they might get put upon. They humbly acknowledge their limitations and their humanness. When those who are mature sin, they acknowledge the sin, repent of it and keep moving forward.

1 Corinthians 4:16–17 “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.”

Paul was not shy of encouraging people to follow his example. And the whole point of this passage is to remind people that he is not perfect, but rather that he strives for the perfection that comes from Christ. Rather, Paul encourages believers everywhere to follow his example because he is perfectly content to live in such a way as to point people to Jesus. I always get the picture in my head of a childhood game of follow the leader. You can follow me as I follow Christ. That way, even if I stumble, I get back up and keep following Jesus and so do you. Better yet, when I stumble, those that might be following me know that I am not the ultimate leader and they help pick me back up again and we all keep moving forward, following after Jesus. Paul followed Jesus, therefore anyone that followed him, inadvertently followed Christ.

Citizenship in Heaven

Philippians 3:18–21 NASB95

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Paul takes a quick moment to talk about some simple logistics. The fact of the matter is htat there will be some people who are so opposed to the message of the gospel that they will actively try to hinder it’s spread. He is not talking about those who are apathetic to the cause and just simply don’t care. He is talking about those who want to stiffle and shut down what we might do. These enemies need to be treated differently than those we need to evangelize. Make no mistake, we are to pray for our enemies and to turn the other cheek. Vengeance belongs to the Lord.

But look at what Paul says about them. They are those “whose end is destruction.” Paul quickly declares that those actively opposed to the gospel will earn their just rewards, and we are not to worry about it.

Interestingly, the destruction coming for the enemies of the cross comes because of their aim in life. They don’t acknowledge the one true God, rather Paul declares that their god is their appetite. And such people glorify their shame and set their mind on earthly things. It seems like there is nothing new under the sun because those descriptions aptly fit groups that are still opposed to the gospel today.

However...

There is a significant turning point at the end of this chapter where Paul turns his focus from the enemies of the cross to those who claim allegiance to it.

Verse 20 is critical to our understanding of what Paul is declaring here. Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”

This is what makes all the difference in the world for us. We are strangers in a foreign land. That’s why the world around us doesn’t make any sense any more. We hold to different values than the culture around us. We speak a different language than the culture around us. And verse 21 reveals one of the primary goals that we, the citizens of this heavenly kingdom, hold to. Philippians 3:21 “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” We want to become like Christ, and we are being transformed into His likeness through His grace and help.

Conclusion

As we bring this message to a close this morning, I realize we’ve covered a great deal of ground in a short span of time. Such was the mind of Paul who wrote such important pieces of literature for our Christian faith.

Main thought: As citizens of heaven, we are to be different than those around us. So different, in fact, that others see and take note and want to know what makes us different!

Paul started by pointing to the perfection that we ought to be aiming at… not as something that has been achieved by anyone in particular, least of all himself. But rather that even though perfection won’t ever be fully realized this side of eternity, by reaching for it, we are striving to walk in the paths of Jesus Christ and are increasingly becoming more like Him. Press on towards that call, Paul tells us. Reach for it, not as a means of earning salvation, but as a means of emulating the one who has saved us.

What this does is to mature us into the kind of people that best represent the kingdom of heaven. While you could argue that perfection is too high of a goal, Paul’s next suggestion might be more in keeping with what is possible in this life. Strive for maturity in our faith. And part of that process is to fully participate in the discipleship process. Not only are we to go forth and make disciples of all nations, but implicit in the Great Commission is that at one point in the disciple-making process, we were once disciples ourselves. And in truth, engaging in making disciples doesn’t mean you no longer need to be discipled. It is for good reason why the term “elder” is used in church leadership. Look to your elders… particularly the elders in the faith… those who you know to walk consistent lives of faith and learn from them.

Finally, acknowledge that our citizenship is not here on earth, but rather in heaven. Know that we are ambassadors to that greater kingdom! Live lives worthy of that kingdom so that others would see and know that you are different in all the best ways. And yes, enemies will arise, and yet when you are living faithfully for Jesus, there is nothing that they can do to you that won’t benefit the kingdom of heaven in some way shape or form. Such is the sovereign authority, the divine knowledge and power of God whom we serve.

Restate the main thought for the message and summarize the points.