“STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, DEAR FRIENDS!” (Outline)
March 8, 2009 --
LENT 2 --
Philippians 3:17-4:1
INTRO: Our faith is our firm foundation. God’s valuable gift to us and for us is our faith that stands firm on the very Rock of our salvation. This firm faith founded on Christ endures forever. "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come"(2 CORINTHIANS 1:21,22). Recent news events have reminded that nothing at all is guaranteed in this world. It is all the more important for us to remember that our gracious God guarantees our future. Our real future lies far beyond these earthly limits. Christ our Savior guarantees a place with him forever. Until that time we need the encouragement of today’s text. The last words of our text serve as our theme:
“STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, DEAR FRIENDS!”
I. Many think only of earthly things.
II. Our citizenship is in heaven.
I. MANY THINK ONLY OF EARTHLY THINGS
A. The church at Philippi faced many challenges. The believers were new believers to Christianity.
1. These believers came from different and even opposite social and racial backgrounds.
2. Verse 17a. Paul offers himself as an example of how God changes lives to serve Him.
B. Verse 18. Paul was saddened by those who still lived as “enemies of the cross of Christ”.
1. Paul was also saddened by the fact he had spent too many years as an enemy of Christ.
2. These are harsh words of God meant as a wake-up warning for all who reject salvation.
C. There is only one result of rejection, verse 19a. The destiny of every unbeliever is destruction.
1. They live lives of selfishness, verse 19b. They live only to eat, drink, and be merry.
2. Verse 19c. Earthly things vanish. Eternal things last forever. Man’s glory ends in shame.
D. Our lives today are quite worldly. We live in an age called the “information age”. We know of news around the world. We know of events on a global basis. We become enthralled with knowing and learning more and more about things that have no eternal benefit for us at all. The reality is, is that we are quite friendly with the ways of this world. God warns us over and over of the danger in worldliness. "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God" (JAMES 4:4). The world can and at times does very easily turn our hearts, mind, and attention away from God. No one can serve two masters. He will hate one and love the other. This is the danger of being too friendly with this life.
E. Friendship leads to familiarity. Familiarity often leads to a deeper relationship. The reality: we spend more time learning things of this world rather than truths in God’s word. We live in the world more than in God’s house. We desperately need to be careful of this love affair with the things of this world. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 JOHN 2:15). Jesus warned, “Anyone who loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me”. How easily it happens that we do not fear, love and trust in God above all other things. When our mind is on earthly things God’s love is somewhere else. “Stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!”
F. God’s word warns us what to be on guard against. God’s word also encourages what to do as believ-ers in God’s power. By faith we can say no to things of this world. By faith we order Satan to get behind us. "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming" (COLOSSIANS 3:5,6). These group of sins God calls idolatry. These are sins of the heart that crowd out God’s great love for us. Pride was the downfall of Adam and Eve. Behind that sin of pride was lust and greed. Adam and Eve were greedy to have all of God’s glory for themselves. They lusted after what Satan was offering to them. BUT Satan had nothing to offer. Satan promised knowledge concerning good and evil. Adam and Eve already had knowledge of good. They knew God’s mind. They walked and talked with God. Satan lied. Satan only offered evil. Satan still uses earthly things to tempt us to think only on earthly things.
“STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, DEAR FRIENDS!”
Many think only of earthly things (enemies).
II. OUR CITIZENSHIP IS ONLY IN HEAVEN
A. Paul wanted these believers to know that others had given up much to live their lives for Christ.
1. Verse 17. Paul was chosen and changed by God to follow him forever.
2. Peter, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and the 12 Apostles all forsook earthly things for Christ.
a. Fishermen – fishers of men. b. Tax collector – soul collector. c. Physician – soul-healer.
B. Verse 20a. Paul was a Roman citizen. This meant special privileges. Heavenly citizenship was best.
1. Verse 20b. Jesus was in heaven and would return again = resurrection and Judgment Day.
2. Verse 21. Jesus would change lowly bodies = Jesus’ is God’s Son and believers’ resurrection.
C. 4:1. Paul loved these believers and longed for their fellowship. Paul was in prison, no fellowship.
1. These believers were his joy. These believers were God’s crowning glory, Christian church.
2. There future was guaranteed by the firm faith God had worked in their hearts, stand firm!
D. We live in the present, or at least we try to. Our society has us so worried about the future that we sometimes do not appreciate or enjoy the present blessings our gracious God provides. None of us know with absolute certainty what will happen today, tomorrow, next week, or next year. Our world only looks at the future in terms of this life. You, I, and every believer look beyond all of that. We look into eternity. So, how do we get from the here and now to the hereafter without being overcome by worldly worry? "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"(HEBREWS 12:2). We are to have in our minds the mind of Christ. He went to the cross for JOY. Dieing on the cross does not sound like joy. Being innocent makes it all the worse. Christ did just that – for us!
E. God helps us to look at those things we ought to do and not just all the things we are to avoid. The Bible is filled with many great things for the believer to think on, work on, and grow. "But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 TIMOTHY 6:11,12). God says to hold on to the faith. It will be a fight. But it will be “the good fight of the faith”. How are we to fight that fight? We have the list: “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness”. “Stand firm…”
F. Our citizenship IS in heaven. This is a present tense. We have an eternal inheritance that sets us free from the mundane things of this life. The earthliness of this life is just that – earthly. The freedom our firm faith provides is divine, eternal. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery"(GALATIANS 5:1). We are no longer held captive by sin. Like Jesus we command Satan to get behind us. Even death is no longer our master.
CONC.: “STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, DEAR FRIENDS!” There is an overwhelming feeling of fear and dread in our nation today. It is all earthly. Too many think only of earthly things. Their destiny is destruction. Our citizenship is only in heaven. We eagerly look forward to our Savior’s return. "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone" (EPHESIANS 2:19,20). God makes us his people, his family. Christ is our chief Cornerstone. “STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, DEAR FRIENDS!” Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun) / 7:00pm @ Living Savior, Hays, KS (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
LENT 2 readings:
GENESIS 28:10-17;
ROMANS 5:1-11;
MARK 8:31-38;
(PSALM 73)
