Do Not Be Anxious

Philippians 4:6-7

Introduction

How many of you remember the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy?"

It was a song by Bobby McFerrin. It reached #1 in September 1988 and won a Grammy in 1989. The main phrase comes from a famous quote by Meher Baba, an Indian guru.

How is it possible for someone to live by such a motto? Wouldn’t you have to bury your head in the sand and ignore the troubles that are real in life? Isn’t it a rather unrealistic way of thinking? It provides no reason to dismiss the difficulties of life and no foundation for happiness.

We can ignore this advice if it comes in such a flippant, off handed way, but, we can’t ignore a similar saying when the Bible itself tells us, as an imperative, in Philippians 4:6,7, “do not be anxious.” However, the reason anxiety can be dismissed and the foundation on which joy and peace can be built are much different when we are in Christ.

Do Not Be Anxious

What is the problem with anxiety? The Bible talks about anxiety in many places.

Anxiety Assumes We Control

Matthew 6:27 says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” When we worry, we assume that we have control. We act as if we can change things, by worrying, that we have no control over. There is nothing as useless as that.

I received an email from Mike and Martha this week about how Mike is progressing. She wrote, “It's actually totally amazing that he's come this far - looking back to the excruciating pain, and the trauma he went through during and after surgery - we never thought that he'd be doing this well. Just goes to show that…no matter how much we stress or worry, that just doesn't help…”

Anxiety Focuses On The Present

Another problem with worry is found in Luke 8:14, where we read, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” In this verse, we find that worries take our eyes off God and focus them on the present problems and issues.

If you have a coin in your pocket or purse, please take it out and hold it in front of your eye while closing your other eye. It is very difficult to see anything else than the coin when you do that. Worry is like that. It causes us to see just the things that are worrying us and not the big picture.

Anxiety Leads To Sin

Another aspect of this verse is that when we take our focus off God and put it on our worries, we are susceptible to other sins.

John Piper writes, “Stop for a moment and think how many different sinful actions and attitudes come from anxiety. Anxiety about finances can give rise to coveting and greed and hoarding and stealing. Anxiety about succeeding at some task can make you irritable and abrupt and surly. Anxiety about relationships can make you withdrawn and indifferent and uncaring about other people. Anxiety about how someone will respond to you can make you cover over the truth and lie about things. So if anxiety could be conquered a lot of sins would be overcome.”

Anxiety Shows Lack Of Faith

Going back to the passage on anxiety in Matthew 6:30, we come to the root problem with anxiety. This verse says, “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Here we get right down to the worst thing about anxiety and that is that it demonstrates a lack of faith in God. Oswald Chambers says, “being anxious betrays a lack of trust in God’s care and is a species of ‘unconscious blasphemy’ against Him.”

Now that may seem like bad news. It is hard for us to hear that we worry because we don’t trust God. But it is an important truth and is in fact good news. How is it good news? If you went to the doctor and were told that you have cancer, that would be bad news. But if that news came with the additional news – we have caught it early and it is treatable, that would be good news. So, in fact, knowing you have cancer is then good news because it was caught and is treatable. In a similar way, knowing that the main problem with anxiety is lack of faith is good news because that is treatable and we can find out what we need to do.

Psalm 56:3 encourages this kind of thinking. It says, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in thee." It does not say, "I never struggle with fear." We do fear and we do have anxieties, but there is a remedy.

Present Your Requests To God

So what is the remedy for anxiety? The text we are looking at today, Philippians 4:6,7, is written in the context of Philippians 4:5b which says, “The Lord is near.” Last week we looked at that as a promise which answers the question of how to live in the “in between.” But it is also a promise which is foundational to the solution to anxiety. If the Lord is near to us, in the sense of being close by to help us, then we have more than a “bury your head in the sand” kind of reason for not worrying. We have the Lord near to help us in our anxiety. If the Lord is near, then we are invited to come to him whenever we worry about anything.

Prayer

This is a theme that is repeated many times in the Bible. Psalm 55:22 – says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” In a similar way, I Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

How do we cast our cares on God? We do so by prayer. Although there is not a huge difference in the three words for prayer which Paul uses in Philippians 4, it is significant that he uses three words. It is one idea presented three times to help us understand that this is an important resource for us in our times of anxiety. If there is any difference between the three words, it would be that “prayer” is a general word which speaks of the act of approaching God to speak to Him. “Petition” is the act of actually asking God for something and “requests” refers to the things asked for.

In prayer we express faith in God. This process of expressing faith in God begins by an act of humility in which we recognize that we do not have it all figured out. It is an act of worship in that we bow before God, recognizing that He does have it all figured out and is the creator who is in complete control. It is also an act of boldness in which we presume to approach him. Of course, we do so because He has invited us to do so, but it is still an act of boldness to come before almighty God with our issues.

Lest we fear to come to God or waste time wondering if this is an issue worth bothering God about, we are encouraged that prayer in anxiety is to be offered “about everything.” There is nothing in our life that is too small. If it is causing us anxiety, then God wants us to speak to Him about it.

Thanksgiving

Another important ingredient in this kind of prayer is thanksgiving. It seems to me particularly appropriate to include gratitude as an aspect of prayer about our worries.

In Romans 1:21, we learn that the first step towards idolatry, that is ignoring God and making something else the supreme authority in our life, is a lack of gratitude. I can see how important this is when it comes to worry. Worry is, as we have already seen, a lack of trust in God. Worry also puts our present troubles in the forefront of our minds. So, worry, becomes a god.

That is why gratitude is so important in our prayers about worry. When we give thanks for all the other things in our life, it takes the focus off of the thing that is worrying us. It helps us see the bigger picture. It assists us in recognizing all that God has done for us and it encourages us that God is able to provide all that we need.

The thanksgiving spoken of here is not gratitude for the gift that God will give in answer to our prayer for help because of what we are worrying about. Rather, the thanksgiving spoken of here is an attitude of thanksgiving that permeates our whole being. It is a basic life perspective.

In order to give thanks, it is helpful to be aware of all the promises God has made to us. John Piper directs our attention to God’s promises when he says, “When I am anxious about some risky new venture or meeting, I battle unbelief with the promise: Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God, I will help you, I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

When I am anxious about my ministry being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise, So will my word that goes forth from my mouth: it will not come back to me empty but accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

When I am anxious about being too weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and as your days so shall your strength be (Deuteronomy 33:25).

When I am anxious about decisions I have to make about the future I battle unbelief with the promise, I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you (Psalm 32:8).

When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, If God is for us who can be against us! (Romans 8:31).

When I am anxious about being sick I battle unbelief with the promise that tribulation works patience and patience approvedness and approvedness hope and hope does not make us ashamed (Romans 5:3-5).

When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, Even to your old age I am He, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save (Isaiah 46:4).

When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise that none of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself; if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose again: that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living (Romans 14:9-11).

When I am anxious that I may make ship wreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promise, He who began a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6). He who calls you is faithful. He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23). He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).”

The Peace Of God

When we focus on these promises with an attitude of thanksgiving and we make our requests to God in prayer, God promises to hear and to provide. Bengel says, “anxiety and prayer are more opposed to each other than fire and water.”

God’s Peace

So what is promised in answer to prayer? Interestingly, it does not say that you will get everything you want. It does not even say that everything will work out perfectly. It says “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

In other words, the problem is removed. That is, not the thing we are worrying about, but worry itself is removed.

What is equally important to recognize is that God is the giver of that peace. I don’t know about you, but here is how it often happens to me. First I have a problem that I worry about. Then I worry and fret and fuss. Then I realize, “Oh yeah, I don’t have to do that, I can pray.” So I pray. Then, I return to worrying and thinking about it and also beating myself up because I have not been able to force myself to have peace. Here is how this verse tells us how it should be. I have a problem, I worry about it. At that point, I should begin to thank God recognizing His great gifts to me and as I am in an attitude of thanksgiving, I pour out my heart before God and am totally honest with him about the issue that is bothering me and also about my fearful and anxious feelings and then I wait and continue in an attitude of prayer. And then, God is the one who will give peace, in His way and in His time.

Unfathomable Peace

The promise, from God, is that the peace He will give “transcends all understanding.” What a wonderful promise! When we control things, we plan for the way in which we can stop worrying. Our answer is that the conditions will change and everything will be OK. God’s answer is that he gives us a peace that we could never even imagine. He enters into the situation and does stuff that we would never have thought of. God not only works to help, which he does, but that is the topic of another message, he begins by doing something in our hearts so that in the most trying circumstances, in the most impossible situations, we can have a peace that makes no human sense at all. Ephesians 3:20 speaks about God who is able to do, “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” That outstanding peace will be ours.

Earlier I quoted Martha’s comments. I didn’t quote all of what she said, which was, “It's actually totally amazing that he's come this far - looking back to the excruciating pain, and the trauma he went through during and after surgery - we never thought that he'd be doing this well. Just goes to show that God knows the big picture and we don't - no matter how much we stress or worry, that just doesn't help… but leaving it at God's feet is the only way to have peace about life.”

Guarding Peace

As we read on we see that peace is more than merely an experience which will make life pleasant. The promise is even deeper than that. God’s peace will “guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The language is a military metaphor. It is the picture of a fortress with high walls and a sentry posted that will keep us safe.

Why do we need such protection by the peace of God from the danger of worry? It is necessary because worry leads us into sin and if we have the peace of God in answer to prayer, we will not succumb to the sins which worry invites. It is necessary because worry causes us to take our eyes off of God and as we pray and God gives His peace, we will rest in the place of God’s presence where we have our eyes on Him. It is necessary because worry is basically a lack of trust in God and as we pray and experience God’s peace, we are in a place of faith instead of unbelief. It is necessary because God’s peace keeps us from anxiety itself.

Conclusion

Worry is part of all of us and we are all susceptible to it. How do we combat worry?

I think it is important to recognize the seriousness of the sin of worry. It isn’t simply a human foible. Although we are all susceptible to it, it is at its root a sin of unbelief. Since that is so, we need to approach worry with repentance. We need to acknowledge it and recognize that it is a precarious place to be in our faith life.

Then, as we admit our trust in God and our love for God, we cast ourselves headlong into His arms of love in prayer. As we pray, we explain, to God, our concern and we explain the conditions which are causing us to worry. We keep on praying and presenting all things to God. In our prayers, it is also good to think about all we have received from God and consider His promises.

This is our part and the promise is that if we do this, peace will come from God. We do not need to manufacture peace, we simply need to pray and God’s peace will guard our hearts.

May we all learn to pray instead of worry!

Living In Between

Philippians 4:4-9

Introduction

Fall is a difficult season of the year. It is definitely not summer any more, but it really isn’t winter either. It is a season in between. Living “in between” can be a challenge. Every snow storm reminds us that we have to learn to drive with winter driving skills. Then the snow goes away and we resume our summer driving habits only to have to learn winter driving skills again. We wear our summer jackets until it gets too cold and then we finally get out our winter jackets only to have a few days when it is so warm that they are totally out of place.

Another “in between” place exists for a person with dual citizenship. I don’t know what it would be like to be a dual citizen of Canada and some other country. Are there times when you would have a longing for the country you are not living in? Are there times when you don’t know which political system to watch or where to vote? Perhaps you have to decide which passport to give when you cross the border into a different country?

I don’t know much about that kind of dual citizenship, but I do know that being a citizen of this earth and a citizen of heaven has a lot of challenges to it. This morning, I would like to think with you about living in this between space of being citizen’s of earth and citizen’s of heaven. The text which will give us some guidance is Philippians 4:4-9. The concept flows quite naturally in this text. Last week when we looked at Philippians 3:15-4:3, we noted that some people are enemies of the cross of Christ, but that we are citizens of heaven. We looked at one aspect of that dual citizenship as we were directed to live with a passion for Jesus. In the last part of the message, we began to think about some of the practical aspects of such a life. Gordon Fee says, “devotion and ethics for Paul are inseparable responses to grace.” The truly godly person longs for God’s presence and also lives in God’s presence by “doing” the righteousness of God. Such practical aspects of living in the spaces in between are described in the text we will look at today.

It Isn’t Always A Happy Place

The space between is not always a happy space. There is the uncomfortable uncertainty when one foot is on the dock and the other on the boat and you have not committed to either. There is the fear when surgery is scheduled, but you have not had it yet or the moment when the needle goes in but the freezing hasn’t taken hold yet. We are not usually smiling and happy at those times.

The space between heaven and earth is not always a happy space either. There is the danger of persecution, the reality that we will be misunderstood and the ever present challenges of life on earth like illness and accidents.

Yet in that potentially unhappy place, we are called to be marked by joy. Paul says in 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord, always, I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Our past experience of salvation in Christ assures us of acceptance with God, our present is lived with our hand in the hand of a loving Father and our future is secured as an experience of eternal blessing. We have every reason to live in the in between with joy. One writer says, Joy is not “a Christian option, but an imperative.” If you want to know more about the joy we can have as Christians, I would refer you to the message I preached on joy a month ago.

Some People Are Difficult

As we live in this “in between” space, it is also a challenge to relate to the people we meet. As long as we are in between, we are not yet perfect and our brothers and sisters are not yet perfect and are sometimes difficult to get along with. We also need to relate to people who aren’t even Christians and we don’t always know how to relate to them.

To that “in between” challenge, Paul says in verse 5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” The NIV translates this word as “gentleness,” but as the wide variety of translations indicate, it isn’t clear exactly what this word means. (NAS - forbearing spirit; ESV – reasonableness; TEV – gentle attitude; KJV – moderation; Message – “make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side.”) My sense of all these different translations is that this is a call to be those who extend grace.

This is one of the most difficult things about the in between life we live. What is our attitude towards others? We are most often gracious and gentle towards those who are our friends. We give them the benefit of the doubt. We trust them. We encourage them and we love them. But the text does not say “be evident to your friends.” It says to all! What is our attitude towards those with whom we don’t agree? How do we treat those we don’t get along with? Do we look at them with disgust? Do we gossip about them? Do we avoid them? Do we harbour bitter and angry thoughts about them? I have often said that the reason Paul says in Colossians 3:13, “bear with one another” is because there is often something in us and in others that we have to bear. We are not perfect, but we are not to use that imperfection as a weapon. We are to treat each other with gentleness and forbearance, always extending grace.

This is a matter that becomes even more important in our relationship with those who are outside of the circle of faith in Christ. What is our attitude towards unbelievers? As followers of Christ, we have “come out from among them.” I fear that that direction in our life has sometimes caused us to adopt negative attitudes towards unbelievers. Do we care about them, do we love them, do we trust them, or do we treat them with contempt or fear? Are we judgemental towards them? How do Dave & Judy minister care to AIDS patients when some of them are there because of a sinful lifestyle? How do Kent Dueck and his staff at Inner City Youth Alive care for people who are drug users or gang members? They will never be successful if they are judgemental or manifest fear or even hatred. How did Jesus treat those who lived in sin? What was his attitude towards the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the woman who broke the jar of ointment and poured it on his feet? It is always amazing to me that he was so involved with those who were sinners and cared for them so much that it says about him in Luke 7:34, “‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.” He was willing to forego a good reputation with the Pharisees in order to have a reputation of grace towards sinners. Oh that we had a reputation, like Jesus, as those who are grace extending in all of our relationships.

It Is A Scary Place

There are some “in between” spaces which are quite scary. The space between being on the floor and being on the escalator is an uncomfortable place. If you stay on the floor, you will never get to the second floor, but this thing is moving and if you step wrong, you could fall. What scares you about having dual citizenship?

To those fears, Paul says in verse 5, “The Lord is near.”

Which sense of “near” is intended? Does the writer mean that God is present with us at all times or that the coming of the Lord is very close? Both concepts are encouraging and perhaps we shouldn’t try to decide, but be encouraged by both.

On the one hand, God’s nearness reminds us that no matter what challenge we are facing in life or what fear presents itself because we are living in a hostile world, God’s presence protects, guides and comforts us. Like it says in Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

On the other hand, the thought of the nearness of the Lord’s coming can also keep us walking with joy and grace. When Jesus comes back again, we will be taken up into heaven and all of the troubles and trials of living “in between” will be over. Like the song says, “soon and very soon we are going to see the King.” While we live in between, we do so with the knowledge of the hope of what is coming

What About The Things In The World?

A number of years ago, I was at the Assiniboine Park and saw a group of young people from an identifiable conservative Mennonite group enjoying themselves on roller blades. I was surprised that they were doing this. Why? What was I thinking? I was thinking that these people have a reputation for what they don’t do and here they were doing something. Have you ever wrestled with similar things in your own life? Have you ever felt guilty about enjoying a vacation or a good movie on TV or a secular concert? How can we live in this world? Can we embrace the good things in the world? How can we embrace them in a way that is consistent with our heavenly citizenship?

Paul’s answer is found in Philippians 4:8 when he says, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

Value The Valuable

What is interesting about the list of virtues in this verse is that it is not distinctively Christian. The things listed here are values and principles which we find in the New Testament, in the Old Testament and even among people of Greco Roman background. The Philippians who read this would have recognized all of these principles from the stories which they had heard growing up.

It is like what Robert Fulghum, in his book, “Everything I really need to know I learned in kindergarten” writes about the basic good things he learned in kindergarten. He writes, “These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK.

So Paul directs our attention to such basic “kindergarten” truths. He speaks of truth – which is that which is not concealed or falsified. It suggests integrity. He speaks of that which is noble. Homer first uses this term for “to shrink from.” The idea of shrinking from the gods leads to the sense of awe or reverence, first in the general form of respect, then in the more specifically religious form of veneration. What is “right” refers to that which observes legal norms, so when we fulfill obligations and keep promises we are doing what is right. The original meaning of purity is “what awakens awe” but in the New Testament it speaks of moral purity, of innocence, of that which is not tainted in any way. The words “lovely” and “admirable” invite us to those actions and attitudes which are acceptable and pleasing and which are a good thing.

In mid sentence, Paul all of a sudden stops and adds the proviso that if these things are excellent and praiseworthy, they should be practiced. It is almost as if he realizes that there is nothing specifically Christian about these things, but that they are good things to do. Nevertheless, he seems to be adding that for those who are followers of Christ, even these things must be raised to a higher level of practice. So he adds, if they are excellent, that is if they are the best, if they are eminent and contain virtue filled with Christian content then they are worthy of heavenly citizens. He adds also if they are worthy of praise, that is if they are in keeping with God’s own righteousness, then we should “think about such things.”

With Discernment

But what does it mean to “think about such things?” The word used for “think about” is an interesting word. It means more than just to day dream it means “consider.” What Paul is saying is that there are some good things in this world and we should have no hesitation about embracing those good things, but we need to do so with discernment. Such discernment means that we don’t just accept what everyone else in society does. On the other hand, it also means that we don’t just construct a fence of legalistic rules which are never evaluated and considered. Rather, we need to be willing to ask the hard questions. What is good here? What can I embrace and affirm? What can I do to add the distinctively Christian element to this way of living or acting.

A few weeks ago in the C&C SS, we were discussing racism. We talked about aboriginal culture and recognized that from the time that Europeans came to Canada, we have judged aboriginal culture and have even forced aboriginal people to reject their own culture in order to become Canadian or to become Christian. We have been judges of their culture. Yet in all that time, have we ever really evaluated our culture? Have we critiqued our European culture to discern which of our values are truly Biblical values? Is democracy a Biblical value? Is the free market system a Biblical value? Is consumerism and materialism a value that comes from the way in which God does things? To consider these things means that we will be willing to lay our cultural assumptions next to the Word of God, next to these verses and critique our cultural assumptions so that we can truly begin to understand and embrace what is “excellent and praiseworthy.”

As we wrestle with our place in the world, it has been our temptation to reject the world and to separate ourselves from it. This verse, as it uses standard values that are common in the world, acknowledges that not everything which belongs to our culture is wrong or evil. There are many good things in culture – sports, music, beauty, truth, science - and as we encounter these things, instead of being suspicious of them, we should discern and ask, “are they true and noble and right and pure and lovely and admirable.” We are then encouraged not to reject, but to accept and affirm those things that are good in the world. So, for example, participation in sports or school musicals are good things because team building, exercise, skill development, are all things that are good. Of course, we also need to transform these good things and raise them to a higher level so that they are infused not only with what is noble, but also with what is excellent and praiseworthy. So when we are participating in hockey, we affirm the good things, but we also provide a model for how those good things can be excellent – so that competition can be affirmed as it challenges people to rise to a higher level of excellence, but which also acknowledges that competition is not everything. I appreciated Milt Stegall’s testimony when the Bombers lost the Eastern semi-final. It was obvious that he was deeply disappointed, so much so that he even covered the camera lens when they tried to film him in his disappointment. But the next day when he was interviewed, he had a good perspective. He said, “it’s only football.” I think in that example, we saw the actions of a Christian who embraced the good of the things of the world, but lived at a higher level as a Christian.

I appreciate Gordon Fees comment that we “approach the marketplace, the arts, the media, the university, looking for what is ‘true’ and ‘uplifting’ and ‘admirable’ but that we do so with a discriminating eye and heart, for which the Crucified One serves as the template.”

It Can Get Confusing

Living in between is not always an easy way to live. It can be confusing. It isn’t going to be black and white. How can we live effectively?

Paul directs the Philippians and says to them in verse 9, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul was the model for the Philippians. He showed them how to react to suffering when he spoke about being in chains, but encouraged them not to be frightened in 1:28. He demonstrated his passion for Christ when he said, “I want to know Christ” and he told them his testimony regarding his determination not to put “confidence in the flesh.”

Ultimately, his example was valuable as he modeled his life after Jesus. In I Corinthians 11:1 Paul says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

If we want to live in this difficult in between space, it will be helpful if we find models to follow who are clearly following Christ.

I think we have had a very good model placed before our eyes this week. Harry Lehotsky’s funeral was this week. He preached the gospel and he loved people. He was involved in the city in such a way that even politicians attended his funeral. In his compassion for Christ and his love for people, we have seen a good model and we should follow it.

Conclusion

Is it always going to be comfortable to stand in the in between? No, it is not.

Yet, we have no choice. We must stand there and live there. How will we do it?

This passage says some important things. With joy and grace in our hearts, an eye to the nearness of the Lord, we are to embrace all the best that is in the world, but do so with a discernment that comes from the gospel. There are model’s around of people who have learned about this in between lifestyle. Let us follow them as they follow Christ.

Our Citizenship Is In Heaven

Philippians 3:15-4:3

Introduction

Where do your loyalties lie? Which banner do you wave? Is it with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers or with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders? Will it be with Toronto or Saskatchewan at the Grey Cup next Sunday? For many years, my brother has had a significant loyalty to the United States of America. Are you enamoured with the US or are you loyal to Canada? Perhaps some of you are loyal to Britain.

The banner we wave is revealed in a lot of ways in our life. Carla was really hoping to cheer for Winnipeg in the Grey Cup next Sunday, but she will settle for cheering for Saskatchewan, or Toronto, or BC or anybody except Montreal. My brother has tended to take most of his vacations in the US, whereas we have taken most of ours in Canada.

Where do your loyalties lie? What place does the banner of Christ have in your life? We want to examine this thought as we look at Philippians 3:15-4:3.

Where Do Your Loyalties Lie?

Enemies Of The Cross Of Christ

In the middle of this passage, in verses 18,19, Paul talks about those who “live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” As he speaks about them, we notice that he speaks with great concern. He has mentioned them before and mentions them now with tears in his eyes. Why was he so sad about them? Why such a deep compassion for them. Paul was concerned about the lost and diligent in seeking to bring them to Christ, but his concern here seems to be somewhat deeper and more painful even than his love for the lost. I think that the reason is that these people were those who were believers, but who were not living according to the way of Christ. They knew the way of salvation, they knew the life God could bring, but they were rejecting that life. They had chosen a banner to fly in their life, but it was not the banner of Christ.

Trying to identify which specific group Paul has in mind is tentative at best. Some have suggested this is another reference to the “dogs” he mentioned in 3:2 and others that they were Gentile Christians who but rejected all principle and lived for themselves. Either one could be possible.

Identifying them would be interesting, but it is more important that we understand how they lived because as we will see, some of their actions are not far from how some of us live. The text gives five characteristics of them.

First of all, they are “enemies of the cross of Christ.” It is not that they do not believe in Christ, but they do not rely on the cross. If they are those who want to add circumcision, they are, as Paul says in 3:3, people who “put confidence in the flesh.” By doing this they, and we if we follow the same path, reject the sufficiency of the cross of Christ to forgive our sins.

Or perhaps they are people who have not realized that the Christian life is a life that must always be lived in discipleship, in taking up our cross and identifying with the death of Christ by being willing to sacrifice our own lives for Him. Instead, they have chosen a life of self indulgence and self satisfaction.

On the other hand, they may be people who are hesitant to identify with Christ so as to avoid ridicule and persecution.

There is an African fable about a turtle who wanted to fly. He persuaded two birds to hold a stick with their feet and he would bite the stick and then they would fly and he would be able to experience flight as well. The story is about how he was unable to keep his mouth shut and so part way through the flight he opened his mouth to say something, but in so doing, released the stick, which was keeping him safely in the air, and went crashing to the ground. When we become enemies of the cross of Christ in any of these ways, we let go of the one thing that is giving us life.

For those who are the enemies of the cross, when they let go of the stick, the cross of Christ, they let go of that which is life and the result is that their “destiny is destruction.”

Why are they willing to go this route? The reason is that their “god is their stomach.” Our stomach is a symbol of our appetites. In all of life, if what we desire is stronger than what we know is good for us, we lose control. For example, if food is more important than the diet we are on we gain weight. If making a purchase is more important to us than sticking to our budget, we get into financial trouble. But how much more serious when living to satisfy our pleasures is more important to us than living for Christ.

One big problem is that some people who choose this banner to fly under are proud of it. As Paul says, “whose glory is in their shame.” They should perceive their behaviour as shameful, but instead they glory in it. They glory in being undisciplined, in choosing the poorest, in settling. They don’t see it as glorying in their shame, but it is. One person that I knew had grown up in a Christian home, but wanted fame. She married a performer and gave up her faith life in the mean time. She gloried in fame and gave up the glory of Christ and that is the shame of it.

The banner they fly is obvious. Their mind is not on heaven, nor on Christ, nor on the things of God. As the final statement indicates, “their mind is on earthly things.” In other words, they have a worldly mindset.

Paul’s “weeping” concern is that none of the Philippians be like that. I would share that concern.

Heavenly Citizens

Paul goes on to remind the Philippians that they have something much better than settling for a life that leads to destruction. Philippians 3:20 says, “our citizenship is in heaven.”

This concept is particularly unique for the Philippians. Although Philippi was in Macedonia, or the Greek region, it was a Roman colony and so would have had a fairly strong component of Roman allegiance. The people of the city would have accepted the lordship of Caesar, the Roman ruler who was ruler over most of the known world from Arabia to England. Citizenship was important to them and they were citizens of the Roman empire, but Paul reminds them of their allegiance to a much greater, more extensive kingdom and that is the kingdom of heaven.

I have here a passport which identifies the owner as a citizen of Canada. With a passport, wherever you travel in the world, it will identify you as Canadian. Probably most of you do not carry your passport with you to church, but do you have any documentation which identifies you with your other citizenship? What identifies us as citizens of heaven? In one way, the document which identifies us as citizens of heaven is in heaven. In Philippians 4:3, Paul talks about some of them whose “names are in the book of life.” In another way, our heavenly citizenship is identified in us by the fact that the king Himself lives in us by His Spirit.

The mention of citizenship reminds us of our current dual citizenship. Although citizens of Philippi, or Canada or any other nation, we are also citizens of heaven. We are already citizens of heaven and yet in a way that identification is obscured by our other citizenship and so we look forward to what is yet to come. In a moment we will examine that promise.

Live Up to It

Before we do, however, we need to examine what is the central purpose of this passage and that is to encourage the Philippians and us to live according to the heavenly citizenship. The mention of those who are enemies of the cross of Christ sets before us a choice to declare under which banner we are living our life. What do citizens of heaven live like?

A Mature Mindset

He actually begins this line of thought in 3:15 where he encourages them that “all who are mature should take such a view of things.” What is he talking about? It seems that he is referring to what has just preceded in the passage. A few weeks ago we looked at this passage and at Paul’s testimony about where he was flying his banner. He did not put confidence in the flesh even though he had reason to do so. Rather, he had discovered the glory of living his life in a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. He had declared with great conviction, “I want to know Christ, I want to know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings and also the experience of resurrection. Paul desired a Christ directed mindset and in verse 15 he urges all who are mature in Christ to “conform their lives to their knowledge of Christ…”

Flying under the banner of Jesus Christ means having such a goal in life, having such a hope in Christ as the primary directing force in all of life.

God’s Lessons

It is interesting that he mentions those who are “mature” in vs. 15, when he has spoken of not having arrived yet in verse 12. This is an acknowledgement that we are all on a journey of faith which will bring us into a greater maturity. What is most encouraging is his assurance that it is God who is at work in us.

Notice what he says in the rest of verse 15, “And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” If we are truly seeking God, then our life is a journey superintended not by someone else’s opinions or by our weaknesses, but by God Himself who will, in time, lead us to Himself and to His truth. Of course, if we are not seeking God and do not want to go His way, He does not force us. But we can have the confidence that if we are seeking Him, He is leading us towards Himself.

As a friend to the Philippians, Paul is ready to leave it to God to reveal those things on which they disagree. Of course it is most likely that he is not talking about essential matters such as living under the cross of Christ or pursuit of the heavenly prize, but on non-essential matters.

Don’t Lose Ground

On July 1 of this year, I paddled from Assiniboine Park to the Forks in my kayak. The current is quite strong and it didn’t take me very long and was quite enjoyable as I paddled and drifted along with the current. I paddled all the way into the Red River and across it and back and then had to paddle a quarter mile or so against stream to where my vehicle was. The current is strong enough that it was hard going and if I ever quit paddling, I was quickly being carried along towards the Red again.

In our walk in the Lord, Paul says that we need to be careful that we “live up to what we have already attained.” In encouraging us to live in this way, he is acknowledging that there are a lot of things in this world which would carry us along in the way of the world. He is saying that we need to keep paddling, we need to keep going in the direction of living under the banner of Christ. We need to make sure that we do not lose ground by becoming careless in our walk with Christ.

Following Godly Examples

There is great encouragement in this life in Christ when we recognize that there are a lot of faithful people who have helped us by being an example to us. Paul directly tells them to follow his example, or the example of others who are living as he does. This is not arrogance on his part, because he has already earlier acknowledged that he doesn’t know it all. It is, however, a recognition that he has attained a level of maturity and that his example will lead them in the right direction.

One writer says, The Christian life is not lived by a “written code of precepts and maxims” rather it is following an example – ultimately Christ and those who follow Him. Paul says this in other passages, such as I Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” This is an encouragement for those who are new Christians to look for someone who is more mature spiritually than they are and follow them. That is why we assign mentors to people when they become baptized. Mentoring is a way of providing an example of what it means to follow Christ and then learning by that example. It is not so much about instruction, but about example, about following a model and is a great way to be encouraged and also a great way to encourage others.

Who are the people in your life who have been your spiritual mentors? I think about my parents, about the pastor who married us and encouraged us in ministry. I think about a Chinese student who lived in The Pas and attended our church and challenged me in the area of prayer. I think about other pastors who have been colleagues and have challenged and encouraged me. Looking for examples whose lives we can imitate, or being examples to others is a great way of getting help to fly under the banner of Christ and follow Him.

Standing Firm and Unity

The section we are looking at today extends from 3:15 to 4:3. In 4:1-3, we have two very specific and practical matters related to living under the flag of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this, but just want to point out that we have already dealt with the matters written about here. In 4:1, he encourages them to “stand firm in the Lord.” This was the theme we looked at a few times already. In face of opposition, living under the banner of Christ means standing firm in the way of Christ.

The other part of this deals with a very specific issue happening between two church leaders, two women – Euodia and Syntyche. The encouragement to them is that they should “agree with each other.” This is also a theme which we have examined before and is very important. The wording is similar to that in 2:2 where Paul encourages God’s people to be “like minded.”

These very specific issues remind us that following Christ can not only be talked about in abstract or general terms as we have been doing. Following Christ has some very specific and practical elements attached to it.

Transformation Hope

The command of Paul in this passage is to walk according to the way of Christ. To lift up the banner of Jesus, to fly the flag of Christ in all of our life. If we do not, we are in danger that we may become like those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ” and our end will be destruction.

But that is not who we are! “Our citizenship is in heaven!” Since that is who we are and that is how we live, we have a glorious hope and that hope is described in 3:20,21.

Waiting For His Coming

We are now already citizens of heaven. We now already belong to Christ and His kingdom. Yet at the same time, “we eagerly await” a Saviour from heaven. This verse so clearly reveals the “already” and “not yet” nature of the Christian life. We already have some great promises and possessions, but we are still waiting for the day when who we are and what we will inherit is fully revealed in us and to us.

So we wait, but we do so, as Paul says, “eagerly.” Christ’s return, His coming to get us, the glory of heaven is so great that we are eager for his return. Can we really say that we are waiting “eagerly?” With what level of eagerness for Christ’s return do you live your life. If we can say with Paul, “For me to live is Christ” or “I want to know Christ” then our level of eagerness will be great.

Anticipating His Transformation

What is so great is not only seeing Christ, but also seeing what He will do in us when He returns. The “not yet” nature of our heavenly citizenship makes us all too painfully aware that we have not arrived and that, in fact, we often suffer because we are not yet in heaven. But, when that for which we are waiting comes we will be transformed.

Power To Transform

God has all power to make the necessary changes in us.

Once when I was tilling the garden, I was in an awkward position and the garden tiller suddenly got away from me. I could not let go of it and it was going where I did not want it to go. I did not have the power to bring it under my control. God does not lack power in that way. The text tells us that He has all power to “bring everything under His control.” That means that God has all power to bring Osama bin Laden and George Bush and every power on earth under His control. If he has the power to bring these people under His control, then surely, we can be confident that He also has all power and authority to transform us.

John Piper says, “The Lord and Judge and Savior over all the universe was tested and found perfect through human suffering. Now he is doubly suited for his role as Lord of the universe: he is God with natural rights, and he is Redeemer with purchased rights. He can put his foot on Satan’s neck not just because of raw divine power—which would have been enough—but also because he exposed himself to Satan’s temptations and to his final weapon, death, and broke it on Easter Sunday morning. So he is doubly suited to rule. He has Creator rights and Redeemer rights.”

Transformation

And He will transform us. He will make us completely new. Some have debated, “how will we be able to be in God’s presence when we are so imperfect?” The Catholic church has taught that there will be time in purgatory so that we can be perfected for heaven and if we haven’t quite made it, purgatory will make us fit. But this passage tells us that the one who has all power, will, on the day when Christ returns, transform us so that we will be completely new.

We will become like His glorious body. Our transformation will resemble that which happened to Christ, who although he was still recognizable and could eat food, was not bound by walls and time. More than that, he was no longer so decay or corruption and neither will we. Aren’t you looking forward to that transformation?

Conclusion

So which banner do you pledge allegiance to?

This passage encourages us to Remember who we are. We are heavenly citizens. We live under the banner of Christ. Since we do, we can rejoice that God is working in us helping us to learn the truth, that He will return and that He will transform us. As we remember these things and rejoice in them, we must also continue to reach for a greater maturity in Christ, following good examples, not slipping back, but following Christ in all matters of life including even all the practical matters of life.