Philippians - Faith Alone

In today’s passage, Paul turns his attention toward people who were sharing the good news about Jesus, but insisted that if a person wanted to become a follower of Jesus, placing their faith in Jesus was NOT enough.

They were teaching that:

• if a person wanted to receive forgiveness for their sins 

• if a person wanted to be born again and get a second chance at life through the forgiveness of sins

• If a person wanted to experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus – 

faith was NOT enough.

As you follow along in your Bible, I will be reading from the New Living Translation.  

Let’s read together:

Philippians 3:1-11 (NLT2) 

1  Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. 2  Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3  For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4  though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5  I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6  I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 7  I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9  and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 

You might notice that Paul used some rather harsh words here. Paul called these people who were telling other people about Jesus “Dogs and mutilators” because they were leading people to Jesus – then they were instructing them to get circumcised. 

In the Old Testament, circumcision was proof that a man was an Israelite – God’s chosen people. Why God decided that circumcision was going to be the identifying mark for Israelite men – I have no idea.  Can you imagine what went through the Israelite’s mind? 

“You want me to cut what with that knife?”

The first thing I want to point out is that Paul reminds the Philippian believers that…

LIFE CHANGE DOES NOT HAPPEN BY BEING GOOD

Yet – that is what was happening now for some people:

• after they trusted by faith that Jesus had died on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin. 

• After by faith, they believed that Jesus rose from the dead. 

• After by faith, they surrendered their lives to Jesus – 

Now, essentially, these men were telling these New Believers that if they were really committed followers of Jesus, they needed to prove it through circumcision. Since the earliest days of Christianity, people have been trying to corrupt the gift of salvation that comes through trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins…and teaching that FAITH in God’s Grace is not enough.

But, maybe you grew up in a church that taught forgiveness of sins needed to be earned.  

• Maybe you were taught to attend church because you will go to hell if you don’t.

• Maybe you were taught to give 10% of your income because you will go to hell if you don’t.

• Maybe you were told to read your bible every day to make God happy.

• Maybe you were told to pray to God every day to keep God happy…

Maybe you were taught that you were made right with GOD by doing GOOD things.

Paul wrote that he was the best at “being good,” and it was worthless. He writes:

Philippians 3:4-6 (NLT2) 

4  though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5  I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6  I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 

Paul told the Philippians that nobody was more passionate about OBEYING the OT LAW and doing good works than him—and now it was all meaningless and pointless because he had surrendered his life to Jesus. When it comes to being born-again and made new – it is by FAITH alone in Jesus. If it is “Jesus and anything else…” that is not pure faith.  

It is not Jesus and church attendance.

It is not Jesus and tithing.

It is not Jesus and reading your bible.

It is not Jesus and praying the right things.

We are not saved by Jesus AND anything else.  Not baptism. Not serving. Nothing.

That’s why Paul sounds so angry in that passage. 

He calls these people DOGS. These men angered Paul because they were actually preventing people from experiencing a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Can you imagine an evangelist showing up at your door, telling you about Jesus, then handing you a knife and saying, “Get ‘er done?”  

NO THANK YOU!

Then, after Paul lists his accomplishments that amounted to nothing but garbage, he says in verse 8

Philippians 3:8 (NLT2) 

8  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

If you can, I want you to underline or circle two words in verse 8: KNOWING and at the very end, GAIN. Paul GAINED Christ. Paul considered all the good stuff garbage because he had already received the ultimate prize: gaining a relationship with God through Jesus. 

When I surrendered my life to Jesus in 1991, I gained Christ. Because I have gained Christ, I do not fear that I must do more good than bad in order to get into heaven. Paul GAINED Jesus after the Road to Damascus. I GAINED Jesus in 1991.

Let me ask you a question:

WHEN DID YOU GAIN CHRIST?

Maybe you were a child, and you gained Jesus.

Maybe you walked an aisle and surrendered your life to Jesus and gained Christ.

Maybe you were watching a televangelist on TV and gained Christ.

Maybe you were listening to a podcast and gained Christ.

Maybe you were driving down the road listening to a radio DJ and gained Christ.

Maybe you were at a conference, you raised your hand, and you gained Christ.

Maybe you were sitting in worship service last weekend, and you gained Christ.

Answer the question: When did I GAIN Christ? Not my spouse, not my kids, not my parents. And if your answer is, “I haven’t, but I want to,” I have some great news for you! You can today! 

Then, you will experience the same sentiment that Paul had when he said, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” It had been years since Jesus ascended into Heaven, but Paul described his relationship with Jesus as PRESENT TENSE.  

Paul, in the PRESENT TENSE, knew Jesus.  While he was in house arrest – he talked to the Roman Guards, and he talked to Jesus.  

Jesus was his friend in the present.

Jesus was his Savior in the present.

Jesus was his helper in the present.

Jesus was his strength in the present.

Jesus was his GUIDE in the present.

When it comes to Knowing Jesus, we need to remember that…

KNOWING IS GROWING

When Paul used the word KNOWING and to KNOW in verses 8-10, the word he used came from the root word, which meant to KNOW intimately as a husband and wife know one another. When you exchange vows with your spouse and become husband and wife, that is just the beginning of getting to know one another.  

You GAINED a SPOUSE…but did you really KNOW your spouse? Kristy and I will be married for 25 years this December. If you had asked me then if “I knew Kristy,” I would have said yes. Yet, we still learn something about one another almost every single day.  Imagine if, 25 years ago, I made a commitment to my wife – and then stopped trying to grow in my relationship with her.  

Imagine if I stopped praying for her. If I stopped being kind and courteous. If I stopped listening and conversing with her…We may still be married, but our relationship would be distant and lonely.

The commitment you made when you surrendered your life to Jesus is a life-long commitment that requires you to grow in your relationship with Him. The commitment you made yesterday is not enough to follow Jesus today. We must continue to grow, to learn, to trust, to follow Jesus.

Let me encourage you to sign up for Grow class on September 15.  We want to help you have the tools to GROW in your friendship with Jesus so that you can say like the Apostle Paul said – NOTHING else matters but knowing Christ. Finally, as we grow in our friendship with Jesus, God brings us to a point where we get comfortable with the fact that…

WE WILL DIE AND RISE!

Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT2) 

10  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11  so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 

Paul must have been thinking that the end of his life could be near as he sat under house arrest, in chains, day after day, with Roman Guards watching over him. But Paul held out hope in Jesus that even if he should die, he would rise and be with Jesus.

If you are like me, talking and thinking about our own DEATH or the DEATH of somebody we love is uncomfortable.  But one of the changes that happen to us as we GROW in our relationship with Jesus, is that we become more comfortable talking about death. The Bible teaches us repeatedly – that followers of Jesus who have been forgiven for their sin – will one day RISE and live forever with God in Heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:52 (NLT2) 

52  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. 

I am grateful that all those who have placed their faith in Jesus to forgive them for their sins – will experience Eternal Life in Heaven with the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. I do not know what Heaven will be like – but I do know that there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, and no more tears.

What a wonderful place that will be!

Philippians - Obedience and Service

Last weekend, we had another double red flag warning, Beach Baptism. About 15 minutes after we began baptisms, a lifeguard blew her whistle and told us to get out of the water.  

So, we waited.

It was not a form of persecution.  She did not chase us out of the water with malice in her heart.  All people had to leave the water up and down the beach because of the rip tide. They were doing their job and trying to keep us safe.

So, we waited.

Because going to a beach for baptism places us under the authority of the lifeguards there.

So, we waited.  Longer than we want to.  And waited.

Finally, the Lifeguard Supervisor agreed that we could continue if two people baptized one person at a time. So, we continued with their blessing. When we were leaving, I thanked the supervisor for allowing us to finish baptizing. Have you noticed that we are often asked to do things we may not want to do? We have to obey four-way stop signs while driving. We are asked to take off our shoes to go through airport scanners. We are asked to show our Sams of Costco card when we enter. Every single day, we are asked to follow others' instructions.

In 1971, the rock group “Five Man Electrical Band” wrote a song complaining about instructions called “Signs.”  Tesla covered it in 1990.  I was reminded of the song as I prepared this sermon today.

Signs, Signs, everywhere there's signs.

Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the signs?

And the sign says, you got to have a membership card to get inside.

In today's passage, the apostle Paul emphasizes that following instructions is extremely important. Let’s read together:

Philippians 2:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 

The first thing that we discover from this passage is that…

FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CONVEYS TRUST AND HUMILITY

At the birth of Christianity, the people who surrendered their lives to Jesus did not have Bibles to read, so instead, they clung to what the Apostles taught them. They didn’t know how to follow Jesus – so they listened to the instructions given to them. Paul also made it clear that he had not created the instructions. God chose to use Paul and the Apostles to give us clear instructions on how a follower of Jesus should live. God gave Paul instructions, which he passed on to believers verbally when he was with them and by letter when he was away.

Today, as a follower of Jesus, it still requires great FAITH to believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. At the birth of Christianity, believers had to have faith that God was speaking to them through the Apostles, through those who had seen Jesus face to face.  Today, faith is still required to believe that the Bible is the everlasting perfect Word of God.

Faith is believing without seeing.

Faith is trusting without knowing for certain.

Following Jesus requires faith.  You and I have never seen Jesus.  You and I were not alive 2,000 years ago to see him change people's lives, pay the price for our sins on the cross, die, and rise from the dead. But, by faith, we believe in the eyewitness testimony of those who saw him. So, when it comes to following Paul's instructions, we must have FAITH that God chose to use him to pass on God’s message to us. Throughout his letters, Paul states over and over again that the instructions he gives to the believers are directly from God:

1 Corinthians 2:13 (NLT2) 

13  When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.

1 Corinthians 14:37 (NLT2) 

37  If you claim to be a prophet or think you are spiritual, you should recognize that what I am saying is a command from the Lord himself.

2 Corinthians 13:3 (NLT2) 

3  I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT2) 

13  Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe. 

Paul recognized that God had chosen to use him and the other apostles to pass on God’s instructions to others. And he also acknowledged that if people did not listen to his instructions, they were rejecting God.

1 Thessalonians 4:8 (NLT) 

8  Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 

I think you will agree; it requires FAITH to follow the instructions found in the Bible. 

Dr. Calovini was my academic adviser throughout my college years. She made it clear on the first day of every class she taught that she was an atheist and did not believe in God. She was an English Literature expert, excited and passionate about what she taught.

Toward the end of my college career, I met with Dr. Calovini to discuss which classes I had to take before graduating. In that conversation, I shared with her that I was a youth pastor at a church in Nashville. She scoffed and said, “I can’t believe you would teach the Bible as truth. It's just a collection of myths and fairy tales.”  

I said, “Well, I understand you have an opinion about it.  What parts of the Bible do you take issue with?”

She said, “All of it.”

I said, “But what parts specifically?”

She said, “I have never read it.”

I said, “Wow.  I can’t believe as well-versed as you are regarding world literature that, you have never read the Bible.  It’s the number one selling book of all time – surely you could find value even in that?”

Following instructions from the Bible and others always conveys trust and humility.  

So, Paul says, “You always followed my instructions while I was with you, and now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation.”

In other words, Paul told them to:

SHOW OTHERS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BY SERVING

If you follow Jesus, you prove to the world that you have been forgiven for your sin through serving others. You prove you have a relationship with God through “good works.”  

Paul emphasizes to these believers that they needed to work hard to show the results of their salvation because doing good works and serving others is closely connected to our salvation.

In 1992, I had a 1979 Ford Fairmont.  I asked a girl to go on a date Friday night, and she said yes, but there was one problem: My car was “up on blocks” in my neighbor’s garage, waiting for me to put on new brakes.  I was paid on Friday, bought the parts, put the brakes on, hit the shower, and went out on the date. 

One week later, I was driving in the city when somebody’s tire rolled past my car!  I hit my brother in the arm and said, “Somebody’s tire!”  At about that time, the front of my car slammed onto the road. It was my tire! 

In my haste to put the brakes on the car, I had failed to tighten the lug nuts. Realizing that all my work and labor had been wasted was sickening. The reason Paul insisted that these believers followed his instructions and work hard to show God had changed them is because you and I will be rewarded for our good works:

Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 3:13-14 (NLT2) 

13  But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14  If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 

On Judgement Day, all of our “work” will go through a fire…and you and I will only receive a reward if the work has any value. Since you became a follower of Jesus, you have been building a pile of work for which God will judge and reward. The only work that survives is your good work because of your relationship with Jesus. I will not be rewarded based on the good works of anybody else. You will not be rewarded for the good works of your spouse.

That’s why we try to provide many opportunities for people to serve.  We partner with Habitat for Humanity and build homes for families in need.  We serve homeless shelters.  We go on mission trips. And church life can be fun when we work together on teams.

We may have a place for you if you want to serve on the Worship team. We may have a place for you if you want to serve on the First Impressions team. If you want to serve as a Life Group leader, we may have a place for you. Children’s, Students, Safety Team.

We create opportunities for you to volunteer and serve the body of Christ every weekend because we want you to be significantly rewarded on the day of Judgement. Finally, we see another truth in verse 13…

GOD NEVER GUILTS PEOPLE; HE CHANGES DESIRES

“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

Raise your hand if you have ever felt like a church was trying to guilt you into serving. I was on staff at a church where the Pastor stopped in the middle of the sermon and announced that we had an overflow of babies that morning and that help was needed in the nursery. He had people raise their hands if they brought a baby that morning and asked them for help. He didn’t move on in the message until some parents finally got up to help out.

God never guilts people into serving, instead, he gives us the power and the desire to do what pleases him. And, when we do what pleases him, you and I will be rewarded. It may be that today, you learned for the first time that our works will be judged on the day of Judgement, and we will be rewarded for them.  

I want each and every one of you to be blessed for all eternity because of the excellent work you have done on this earth.  So, stop by Guest Central or fill out the connect card and drop it in the offering box.  Please take the next step and let us know where you want to serve.

Philippians - Citizen of Heaven

What does it mean to be a “Citizen of Heaven?”  Paul uses that phrase twice in his letter.

This Thursday ( July 4th) – we are celebrating our Freedom!  We celebrate our freedom as a nation and we celebrate our freedom in Christ. In school, at the start of every day, a bell would ring, and the entire class would rise, turn to the American Flag, and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.”

I remember as a child, waving the American Flag during July 4th Parades, applauding veterans, police officers and first responders…but the most Patriotic Season that I remember experiencing came immediately after terrorists attacked the Nation by hijacking passenger planes and flying them into the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon.  

After our Nation watched the towers collapse. After we saw smoke rising from the Pentagon.

After we heard the heroic story of Flight 93 – and how the passengers fought back and lost their lives when they crashed in the field in Pennsylvania….

America responded.

Neighbors spoke to neighbors they had not spoken to. Families called one another to check on them. People lined up across the nation to donate blood. Spontaneous applause broke out for First Responders and Police as they responded to car accidents and fender benders.

And for weeks, as First Responders searched for survivors among the rubble of the World Trade Center, a Massive American Flag Flew in the background. Even with smoke still rising from the rubble, Americans began packing sporting events and arenas as soon as they could. It was as though we were one. Our Nation stood together and said, “You cannot break the American spirit.”

That SEASON was the most PATRIOTIC season of my lifetime.  

Today almost twenty-three years later, the United States of America does not feel as united as we were then.  

It feels like people are trying to divide us by hate.  

It feels like people are trying to divide us by political party.

It feels like people are trying to divide our country by race.

Honestly, our Nation is more divided than I have ever seen it.  

So.

I am an American. I love the freedom we have been given by God. I love that our Declaration of Independence begins with the words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I do love my country.

But as followers of Jesus, how do we balance our responsibility as Citizens of the USA and as followers of Jesus living in the USA?

As we look at Philippians, I hope we are each challenged by the Word of God – because I believe he has a particular message crucial for us all to hear and understand.

Let’s read together:

Philippians 1:27 (NLT2) 

27  Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. 

Philippians 3:17-4:1 (NLT2) 

17  Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18  For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19  They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. 1  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

At this time, Paul was being persecuted by his own Country. It was not just the religious leaders – he was actually being persecuted by the government of Rome.  He was upsetting the Roman culture by insisting that Jesus was the one true God and that when a person surrenders his life to Jesus, they are forgiven for their sins and made a new person. The Jewish leaders and the Roman government did not like it.

In fact, a few years later, a Roman Emperor named Nero, would falsely accuse Paul of setting the city of Rome on fire, and he would, as Christian Scholars tell us, have Paul arrested and beheaded. Paul made it clear that if we have indeed surrendered our lives to Jesus, our citizenship is in Heaven. That is where we belong. That is where we are going. Even though I am a Citizen of Heaven – I was born a Citizen of the United States of America, and I am to be a good steward of the Nation that God has entrusted to me.

I think it is important to remember that for followers of Jesus:

WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN FIRST, AND OUR NATION SECOND

Paul stated clearly that we are citizens of Heaven…but he did not teach that followers were not citizens of the countries they belonged to or that followers of Jesus should give up their rights and claims as citizens of their Native Countries.  

In Philippians 3:17, Paul writes, “Pattern your lives after mine.” So, let’s examine how Paul balanced his citizenship of Rome and Heaven. 

In Acts 16, Paul was in Philippi leading people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus – Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten with rods, and locked up in the inner dungeon.  While in Prison, Paul led the jailer and his family to Jesus and baptized them.  

The following day, the City Officials ordered the release of Paul and Silas… You would think that Paul would high tail it out of there…but listen to what he said: 

Acts 16:37-38 (NLT2) 

37  But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!” 38  When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39  So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.

Can you hear the defiance in Paul’s voice?  

Paul knew he was a citizen of heaven – but he also understood his rights as a Roman Citizen. He knew that He and Silas were arrested and beaten because they were citizens of Heaven – but he also knew it was ILLEGAL for them to be beaten and arrested without a trial, because he was a citizen of Rome. Paul waited until after he was arrested, beaten, and spent the night in jail before he said anything.  

Why did he do that?

I think it is because Paul understood that:

OUR FREEDOM SHOULD ADVANCE THE GOSPEL, NOT HINDER IT.

Paul knew his pain could lead others to find freedom in Jesus. Paul believed God had allowed his suffering so he could share HIS HOPE IN JESUS with those he encountered. As citizens of the United States, we believe that we have been granted unalienable rights directly from God.

Right to Worship, Right to free speech.

We are FREE to align with a political party, and support the candidate that we want. But we can learn from Paul’s example that we are not free to be jerks. We should never allow our freedom to hinder the Good News of Jesus. Rather, we should use our freedom to advance the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We see this is Paul’s life again in Acts 21. 

Some Jewish men caused a riot and made loud accusations against Paul.  The whole city was in an uproar. A mob gathered and they tried to kill Paul. A Roman commander arrested Paul.  

As the commander was trying to lead Paul away the crowd followed close by, yelling to KILL HIM.  As Paul was about to be taken inside, Paul asked the commander if he could speak to the crowd that had gathered.  A deep silence fell over the crowd, and Paul spoke to all of them and shared the story of Jesus and how Jesus had changed his life. After Paul shared the gospel of Jesus with the crowd, the commander took Paul inside and ordered him to be beaten and whipped. They tied Paul down to lash him, and Paul said, 

“Is it legal for you to whip a Roman Citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” (Acts 21-22)

This frightened the Roman soldiers. They kept Paul under arrest…but they did not beat him. Paul understood that HIS RIGHTS as a Roman Citizen should advance the Gospel NOT hinder it.

When we elevate our RIGHTS higher than our RESPONSIBILITIES to Love God and Love our Neighbor as follower of Jesus – we will hinder the good news of Jesus.  People will not want to hear from us. In fact, when we “set our minds on earthly things” we actually become more like those that Paul described in Philippians 3:19.

Philippians 3:18-19 (ESV) 

18  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Did you catch the significance of those last few words?  Paul was describing people who lived their lives as enemies of the cross of Christ.  In the last few words, he said that enemies of the Cross of Christ “Set their minds on earthly things.”

“Setting our minds” on earthly things and “thinking about” earthly things are not the same thing.  

It might surprise you, but 

I think about eating. I think about brewing coffee. I think about my wife.(Not in that order…I should have listed my wife first.) I think about my children. I think about my future. I think about earthly things every single day.  

I think about the government. I think about our local school board and the decisions they are making. I think about Public education. I think about America and the Political divide.

And I think to myself, wouldn’t it be amazing to have born again followers of Jesus, running for office at the local, state and federal levels? Wouldn’t it be amazing if people understood that God has blessed them as Citizens of the United States to point more people to Jesus? Wouldn’t it be amazing to have followers of Jesus defend our freedoms, establish justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with God?  

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are called to advance the Kingdom of God first. 

But - when we set our mind on earthly things – we live as enemies of the Cross of Christ…

When we set our mind on earthly things – it means we are obsessed and devoted to Earthly things. Our mind is non-flexible.  Like concrete when it sets up – our minds become so focused on earthly things Jesus will for our lives does not matter.

The question I ask myself is this…

IS MY MIND RIGHT?

Is my mind right? Does the BORDER of our Nation matter more than expanding the Border of God’s Kingdom? Am I living more like a Citizen of Heaven than a Citizen of the USA? Do I place my political kingdom above God’s Kingdom?

Our Patriotism is best demonstrated by being good stewards of the Nation that God has entrusted to us.  Let’s live with gratitude to live in the best Nation on the planet – and use our freedom to tell other’s about Jesus.

God can heal divided families.

God can restore broken marriages.

God can unify divided churches.

And I believe, if we seek God’s Kingdom first, God can unify our divided Nation.

May God truly Bless America, and may America be a Nation that blesses God.

Philippians - Things That Have Happened

If any early follower of Jesus was considered a “superstar” it was the Apostle Paul. He had the origin story of being a former persecutor of Christians. He hunted them down. He chased them out of towns. He was a Pharisee following in the footsteps of those Pharisees who worked with the Roman government and murdered Jesus. But then – he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus.

He met the resurrected Jesus on the Road to Damascus. A few days later he received the Holy Spirit.  He became a missionary, traveling from town to town, telling people that hope for their broken lives can be found in Jesus. 

Hope for the forgiveness of sins. 

Hope for a relationship with the true God. 

He planted churches. He raised up leaders. Wherever Paul went, people became followers of Jesus. People surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus and their lives changed. They stopped placing their hope in false idols, in sorcery, in witchcraft, in Caesar and began to live lives of worship to God.

It was a radical change.

And many Roman citizens and the government of Rome did not like it. Paul’s message was that there was only one GOD…but Rome believed there were many gods. So, Paul was arrested.  He was placed under house arrest and chained to a wall…for two years.

I have never been arrested.  I do not know what that feels like.  I love the fact that we have many men and women who are part of Beach Church who know what it is like to sit in a jail cell and experience the GRACE of GOD that has changed their lives.

 I do not know what it is like to be confined to a certain amount of space, sleep in a certain spot, have somebody tell me when it is time to wake up, go to sleep, what to wear, and what to eat…

Wait a second – that sounds like Parenting.

And when Paul was arrested – some people were ecstatic…but they thought, “His arrest isn’t enough. We need to make it harder on him…”

So, they devised a plan. Just outside the quarters, Paul was confined; day after day, they preached to anybody who would listen. They told others that Jesus was the Son of God, and nobody could be saved except through Him…

Paul was able to hear them from within his place of confinement…mocking his ministry.  So as he wrote this letter to the Philippian church, Paul addressed the fact the fact that other people were trying to make life more difficult for him. Let’s begin reading in Philippians 1:12-18.

Philippians 1:12-19 (NLT2) 

12  And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13  For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14  And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. 15  It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16  They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17  Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18  But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19  For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. 

Scholars tell us that this was one of the first times that Paul had been arrested for his faith – if not the very first time.  No doubt, some early followers of Jesus were discouraged when they heard that Paul – the “superstar” preacher, had been arrested.

This imprisonment caused pain for Paul and Pain for the early followers of Jesus. May I ask, is there something in your life that has recently caused pain for you?

As much as we would like to think that some people never experience pain…we all do.  Painful seasons of life happen to us all.  

Some may experience a miscarriage. 

Some have recently experienced the death of a family member.  

Some have experienced the pain of a diagnosis or disease. 

Some people have to deal with childhood trauma. 

Other people have to deal with a marriage that seems to be on the brink of disaster. 

Some people have to deal with being rejected and not accepted by others. 

So how should followers of Jesus manage pain in our lives? What type of Pain Management should we be involved with?

How do we walk through painful seasons in life?

First, we have to understand that even for followers of Jesus…

PAIN WILL MAKE ME BITTER OR BETTER

Pain will make me BITTER or BETTER.

What do I mean by that?  

I have met people with the chronic symptoms of bitterness. I love them.  God loves them…but they sure make it hard to be around them. They are almost always a victim.  They are always blaming other people when something bad happens to them. 

The moon is too bright. The sun is not bright enough. They complain about their work, their family, their church. They always seem to speak negatively about other people.

They simply are not pleasant to be around…have you ever met somebody like that?

Look—if you struggle with bitterness, I want you to know that you can change. God can change you, and God can help you become a better person.  If you struggle with any hurt, habit or hangup, Celebrate Recovery meets every Friday night at 6 PM in Adventure Beach, and can help you overcome bitterness and negativity.

Paul was arrested for telling other people about Jesus, but the arrest did not make him bitter. In fact, it made him better.  His confidence in the Lord grew.  It actually grew! He could have complained and said, 

“God – why did you let this happen to me?  I have been busy telling people about the good news of Jesus and now you let me get arrested.”

“Thanks a lot.”

But instead, his pain made him better.

Philippians 1:12-13 (NLT2) 

12  And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13  For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 

When he said, “helped spread the Good News,” he was making it clear to the early church that this setback, this discouragement, this two-year imprisonment would not cause him to take a step backward in his faith. He said the pain actually helped him carry out his mission to spread the good news of Jesus…Now the whole palace guard had heard the good news about Jesus.

I love it.

He is chained to the wall of the house.  And smiling.  

He is confined and chained up for two years. And joyful.

He tells every one of the guards…you know why I am here?  Jesus.  Jesus sent me here to tell you about Jesus. He acknowledged that even though the people outside his window had wrong motives, the gospel was still being preached.  When people experience church hurt and see a church leader's selfish motives, they can begin to question whether or not God has been working through this pastor or church leader.  

If this person is so bad, how could God have been working in my life? If these things are true, was God ever really working in my life?  

If you have recently asked yourself questions like that, I understand.  These men outside Paul’s windows had selfish motives to make Paul’s imprisonment worse, so they preached hard and loud.  Paul said, as long as Jesus was being preached, that’s all that matters. Let me add this.  God can use the teachings of a selfish, self-centered, corrupt pastor to help you grow in your faith.

In Numbers 22:21-39. God spoke through a Donkey to get Balaam’s attention.  If God can speak through a donkey, God can speak through anybody. So, it’s understandable if you leave a church when you discover the truth about the church leader; just don’t doubt the work that God has been doing in your life.  

Paul’s arrest. His pain made him BETTER.  

What about you? Does your PAIN make you better?  

If you are not intentional about becoming better when you experience pain, by default, you will become bitter.  You have to be determined when you walk through hardship that you will not let this devastating event that has occurred to you make you a bitter person.

Rest assured, your…

ATTITUDE DETERMINES OUTCOME

Now, your ATTITUDE can not take away your diagnosis. Your ATTITUDE can not cure disease, but your attitude when facing pain and discouragement in your life can determine whether or not you become a better person.  

Those people outside Paul’s house wanted to make life miserable for Paul. In the streets, they were “mocking” the Good News of Jesus. Up and down the streets, they yelled that people needed to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. They thought that by doing so, they would make life more difficult for Paul. So, how did Paul say that their motives in preaching the Gospel did not matter in verse 18? We see HOW later in his letter in Chapter 4:8.

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) 

8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 

Paul’s attitude was determined by focusing on the things that were excellent and worthy of praise. Anyone without Jesus can focus on the negative…but followers of Jesus have hope, and when we walk through pain, we must focus on the things that are just, pure, lovely, and full of virtue. As you focus on these things, it will become clear that…

YOUR PAIN CAN BE A DOORWAY TO LIFE-CHANGE FOR OTHERS

Paul said his pain actually was helping him in telling other people about Jesus.  The pain of his arrest gave him an opportunity to demonstrate LOVE and FORGIVENESS to the people guarding him. But Paul’s attitude was simple: He chose to use his PAIN to bring the life-changing good news of Jesus to other people.  If he had not been arrested, he may have never shared the good news with the prison guard. God has used the pain I experienced as a child as a doorway to life change for others.

Before I turned thirteen:

My dad sexually abused me.  He was an alcoholic with an Irish temper.

Night after night, he would holler, scream, and play loud country music.

My mom finally had enough; she left him, and we moved into a domestic violence shelter in Nashville, TN.

I ran away from there and went back to my dad.

My dad sent me back to the shelter and the shelter had me placed at a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital for three months.

Then, my mom couldn’t afford me, so I moved in with my nana for my High School years.

And, after I graduated from High School, I surrendered my life to Jesus.

For over 26 years, I have been transparent about my childhood and the pain I experienced, because I understand my pain can be a doorway of life change for other people. It’s uncomfortable, and sometimes, it makes others uncomfortable. But my pain is a doorway to sharing the life-changing good news of Jesus.  And so is yours.

I firmly believe in the power and the promise of Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 (NLT2) 

28  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Everything means everything.

Your cancer diagnosis is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with your medical team. Your Church-Hurt is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with others. Your child’s crazy behavior in school is a doorway to sharing the life-changing message of Jesus with his teachers. Every bit of pain God allows in your life can be redeemed to impact others if you are willing to allow the pain to make you better and amplify the message of Jesus.

So live Romans 8:28 like you really believe it.