Longing for Belonging
Philippians 3:17 - 21 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Intro: Many people today are not sure where they fit into the scheme of things. They are searching for meaning and direction as they go through life. Michael W. Smith wrote a song several years ago, “Searching for a reason, roaming through the night to find my place in this world. Not a lot to lean on, I need Your light to help me find my place in this world.” People are confused and like Jesus said, “They are like sheep w/o a shepherd.” They are wandering around trying to find where they belong. People are asking these questions: Why am I here? Where do I fit in? What is life all about? Who cares about me? Ultimately, we find these answers in the one who created us.
Prop: God wants each of us to find a place of belonging in His family.
Interrogative: How can we know where we belong in God’s family?
TS: We will look at four areas today that will help us find where we belong and how to get there.
I. We Must Know Whose Example To Follow (17)
-Paul uses the words “my” and “we” to describe not only himself, but his partners in ministry. He may have been referring to Timothy, Epaphroditus, and/or other believers who were associated with Paul.
-The main idea is that in their pursuit to know Christ better and to keep pressing on in their relationship and service for Him, Paul tells them to join together in following his example. He also says to take note of those who are living according to the pattern He and his fellow ministers have given to them.
-So, clearly we have the idea of unity here. As opposed to everyone doing their own thing, Paul tells them to join together in following his Godly example. If you are the only one who sees a certain thing as right or true, that should concern you a little bit. Maybe there is wisdom and accountability in joining with other believers in determining what is the best way to live. I am not suggesting that we base our lives solely on what other people think we should do, but we should realize that we may have an incomplete picture, if we rely only on our own understanding, or only use our personal experience to process information. We often need other believers to help us figure out what God is telling us. Proverbs 11:14 “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”
-Who should we follow? Obviously, Jesus is the One we must ultimately follow. However, He has also placed people around us who can help show us how to live right and please God with our lives.
-Therefore, it is good for us to identify Godly people whose lives are good examples for us to follow. We do not have the equivalent of an apostle Paul, but as I look around our own church family here, there are many good examples of how to live a godly life.
-It is helpful for most of us to be able to see someone model how to live, so we can learn from their example. Most people learn by watching others (how to do a job, how to be a good basketball/football/baseball player, how to cook, how to repair an engine, how to grow a garden, etc.). We need to be able to see it work for someone else. In turn, there are others who are watching our lives who need to be able to see Christianity working for us.
-Naturally, there is also a word of caution in order here. Since only Jesus is perfect, do not put too much emphasis on any single individual. Otherwise, if/when they make a mistake, you may become disillusioned and be tempted to walk away from God and your faith. Don’t let that happen! Just understand that every human has faults, but we can still learn from one another and help one another, as we learn to live together in love and unity. God can show us where we belong as we follow Him and follow the examples of Godly people around us.
-And a word to every follower of Christ… Be real! Yes, you are an example for others to follow, but here is what that does NOT mean: Hiding your faults and mistakes so you look like a good example. No. Be real. Be you. But let the grace of God work freely in your life so that when people see the real you, they can still recognize Jesus in you!
TS: Another factor that will help us know where we belong comes from people whose examples we must be careful not to follow.
II. We Must Know the Fate of Those Who Reject the Gospel (18-19)
-With tears, Paul reminds the Philippians of the fate of those who reject Christ. What are these tears? I believe these are tears of compassion, and perhaps tears of frustration. Paul wanted more than anything to see his fellow Jewish brothers and sisters come to know the love and power of Jesus Christ. He was willing to pour out his life for their sakes, but many of them were not interested in a crucified, cursed Messiah.
-Paul shows his burden for unbelieving Jews in Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” In Romans 9:2-3 “I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:”
-Obviously, this is hypothetical on Paul’s part, because losing his soul could never save the souls of others who did not believe on Christ. However, he makes his point well. He would be willing to do anything for Israel to accept Jesus as their Messiah and Lord.
-Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they continually refused to come to God on His terms: Luke 13:34-35 34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate.”
-Paul clearly spells out the fate of those who reject Jesus. He says “Their end is destruction.” Those who refuse to call on the name of Jesus and be saved do not have a bright future ahead of them. Unless they surrender their hearts and lives to Jesus, they will face an eternity of separation from God, of darkness, of eternal punishment and torment in the lake of fire, as described in Revelation 20:15.
-This is not a pretty picture. It is sobering, and should cause us to take the gospel seriously. Furthermore, it should cause us to be more concerned than ever about those around us who do not know Jesus. When is the last time we wept for the lost? Maybe you have family members that do not know the Lord. Have you been deeply concerned to the point of praying for their salvation? How about other friends or neighbors? Does the compassion of Christ well up within you when you think of these people spending an eternity in hell? Hell is a real place, and it seems that a lot of people are determined to go there. Will you be the one to stop them and let them know the truth? There is a better way. They do not have to face an eternity without God.
-So many people are trying to find a place to belong. They are looking for a place where they can fit in and be appreciated by others. Why do some people go hang out in bars? Many of them are simply looking for people who like them, and who will accept them as they are. “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. You want to be where you can see our troubles are all the same. You want to go where everybody knows your name.” Folks, this should be the church, not the bar! Lord, help us get real enough about who we are that people will not feel rejected or outclassed when they are around us. Let’s ditch any sense of superiority as we recognize that we are beggars telling other beggars where to find bread!
-TS: And yet, even though we are not superior or better than anyone else, our identity as people of God is of great worth and makes a huge difference in our lives.
III. We Must Know the Nature of Our Citizenship (20)
-Paul quotes what is thought to be an early Christian hymn in verses 20 & 21. Paul quotes the Christ hymn earlier in chapter 2:6-11. However, the context in which Paul uses the words of this hymn is very significant to the Philippians. When Paul writes, “Our citizenship is in heaven,” he is speaking directly to the setting at Philippi.
-Philippi was a Roman colony, which had been awarded the highest legal privilege possible from Rome. The citizens of Philippi were granted the status of being citizens of the city of Rome – even though they did not live there. They were given all the rights and privileges of citizens born in the imperial city of Rome – even though they may have never been there.
-So, Paul uses a Greek word which our Bibles translate as citizenship; the word is politeuma, which often meant a colony of foreigners or relocated veterans. The purpose of this colony was to spread the ways of the conquering country to the conquered country. The idea was to change that country to reflect the culture, customs, and laws of the dominant country. Philippi was a politeuma.
-This was originally part of the genius of the Greeks, esp. under Alexander the Great late in the 4th century B.C. They would set up politeumas (small communities) all over the countries which they had conquered. At the center of these politeumas were community centers, where education, community meetings, and even athletic activities and exercise took place (gymnasiums). These politeumas served as models for the establishment of Jewish synagogues. When Rome conquered the Greek empire, the Jews were allowed to retain their religion and identity. One of the best ways to do this was to establish a “Jewish” community (politeuma) with a central place to meet and study Torah together. It required 12 reliable men to establish a recognized synagogue within a politeuma.
-Now, we need to bring all of this background together: Paul was telling these believers, who lived in the politeuma of Philippi, that their real politeuma, was in heaven. Even though they lived in Philippi, they had been granted all the rights & privileges of those in heaven. They really belonged to heaven, not to Caesar, not to Philippi, not to a synagogue, nor to anything else. They were God’s people whom He had placed in Philippi to spread the ways of the kingdom of heaven. They were there to show the love and unity that is found in Christ. They were there to get to know Christ more and show the people around them what Jesus was really like. They were a colony from heaven that was strategically placed in Philippi to make a difference in people’s lives.
-We must never forget where we belong. We must never forget where our true home is found. As Hebrews 13:14 says “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”
-We can view each local God honoring church as a colony of heaven. Those who belong to each church and have a relationship w/ Christ have full citizenship in the heavenly city, and also have been given the responsibility of helping the world see and acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is up to us to show the people of our community that there is a place they can go where everybody knows their name. We need to demonstrate to those who do not yet know Christ that they have a place to belong in the family of God. People must see how we love one another and live in unity. Then, they need to be invited to join the family of God. How do people join the family? Two basic things are needed: repentance and relationship. They must repent of their sins against God, and start a relationship with Jesus Christ. Romans 10:13 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Clearly, we accept people just as they are, before they ever call on the Lord. In one sense people are very much a part of our church family from the first time we connect with them. However, only those who call on the Lord will have their names written in the Book of Life and be a part of God’s family.
-We must know where we belong. We belong in heaven with Jesus. Heaven is our homeland. What country are you a resident of? Heaven. Put that on your next passport or visa application: “I am a citizen of heaven, just visiting Earth for a few years.”
-Now, as citizens of heaven, we must not look to our alien environment in which we live, to provide us meaning for life, or to control the quality of our behavior. We must look to the King of Heaven and Earth – Jesus Christ – to know who we are and where we really belong.
-We all were made for fellowship w/ God and the family of God – to be a Christian community. All people belong in heaven; but not all will go there.
TS: That leads us to the final point.
IV. We Must Know that We Are Ready for Emigration (20-21)
-We were designed for heaven, but we cannot get there w/o a Savior.
A. Our Savior is coming.
-We are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven and take us to be with Him forever. This world is not our home. We will be leaving here one of these days. We were made for heaven. However, we will never get there without a Savior. And there is only one Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” There are a lot of reasons why Jesus is the only way to heaven, but one big reason from verse 21 is His power.
B. He has power over all things
-Jesus is coming to set everything right. All the injustices that have been committed, all of the abuses against the poor and the innocent, all of the wrongs of this world will be made right. The innocent will be vindicated, and the wicked will be punished. Jesus alone has the power to do all of this. It may seem like the rich and the powerful are having their way in this world. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The strong run over the weak and seem to get away with it. Where is the justice? Justice is coming, because the Judge is coming. Jesus will come as Savior of those who have placed their trust in Him, but as Judge of those who have rejected Him and have lived for themselves as citizens of this world. What will Jesus be to you when He comes from heaven? Will He be your Savior or your Judge? Those who love and obey Him know that when He returns they will be going with Him. We also have the promise that He will change us to be like Him.
C. His power will transform our bodies to be like His
-With the same power that He has to bring all things under His control, Jesus will transform our bodies so we will be like Him. When Paul speaks of the body, he is referring to that whole person, not just the physical aspect. Just as in Rom. 12:1 “…offer your bodies as living sacrifices…,” Paul is speaking about the whole person, not just the physical part. Every person on this side of Christ’s return deals with frailty, suffering, sorrow, vanity, death, and corruption. When Jesus returns, we will be freed from the weakness and limitations of our flesh, and will become spiritual bodies, like Him.
-The power spoken of here is not just the idea of power, but power in action. It is power in operation – supernatural action. Jesus will act on our behalf, and give us resurrection bodies, just like His own – then we will really know where we belong and what we were created for. Then we will be totally ready for emigration- leaving this country for another.
Conclusion: In closing, we can learn to live as citizens of heaven by following the Godly examples of other Christians around us. With compassion, we must also recognize the fate of those who reject Christ. We must know the nature of our citizenship- we only have a temporary visa here on earth. Finally, we must always be ready to emigrate to another country – the one He has prepared for us from the foundations of the world.
-Where do you belong? Do you belong to another world, in which you are investing for eternity? Are you too bound to this world, living like this life is all there is? Today, you can change your citizenship. If you are only a citizen of this world, Jesus invites you to become a citizen of heaven today. You can know Him and find forgiveness for sin. You can find the place where you really belong – in God’s family.
-If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you can. It starts with a sincere desire to change and do things His way. If you are willing to put your trust in Jesus to forgive you and make Him the leader of your life, you can do that right now. If this is you, would you raise your hand so I can see it and pray for you? You belong to heaven, but you can only get there if you surrender your heart and life to Jesus. If you will do that, I’d like to say a pray for you, and then if you like, I can pray with you individually.
-For those of us who already know that our citizenship is taken care of, we need to focus on two basic areas: make sure we are living like citizens of heaven, keeping a living, growing relationship with Jesus. Second, we need to always remember the fate of those who would neglect or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. As citizens of heaven, it is our privilege and responsibility to show and tell others how they can know Jesus and become a citizen of heaven too. Let’s commit ourselves to this task. If you never speak with people who do not know Jesus, maybe this week would be a good week to do that. If you ask Him, God will bring someone across your path who needs hope. Will you be the light God has called you to be so that others do not have to walk in darkness? Lord, help us let You shine through our lives. -Pray
