In light of what we are looking for, what are we living for?

The book of Philippians chapter number 3 and verse number 17. Philippians chapter 3 and verse number 17. Brethren, be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensemble.

For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation, now that is a word that is unique to hear this passage in Philippians, and it is the idea of our citizenship, our commonwealth. For our citizenship is in heaven.

From whence also we look for the Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. I want to ask you a very simple question this afternoon.

What are you looking for? What are you looking for? In relation to all that happens in life, what are you looking for? And in light of what you are looking for, what are you living for? In light of what you are looking for, what are you living for? Three very simple points. And I will divide that time and leave time for another brother to give a word of ministry. But three very simple things that I want to leave with you from this passage in Philippians 3. It is a lovely book.

The book of Philippians is really a book that is centered upon Christ. And I think in the ministry that we have heard already this afternoon, our minds have been directed to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And whenever you're in chapter 1, it's really Christ and his supremacy.

Whenever you're in chapter 2, it's Christ and his humility. Whenever you're here in chapter 3, it's Christ and his glory. And whenever you're in chapter 4, it's Christ and his supplier, Christ and his sufficiency.

Paul himself says, I can do all things through Christ who pours his strength into me. And in this passage that we have read from, just coming near the end of this passage, where Paul has been dealing with a bit of a difficulty, he has been dealing with false teachers. One of the things that marked the beginning were those Judaizers that came in trying to introduce the need for circumcision and legality.

And Paul begins to speak with his great concern. He begins to warn these believers, and he begins to put before them really the life that should be lived. Living for Christ.

Reproducing Christ in our life. And really what we find in verse number 17 is an example to follow. And the little expression that I would put over that verse is really the pursuit.

The pursuit of a Christ-like pattern. The pursuit of a Christ-like pattern. You notice what Paul writes there in verse number 17.

He says, Brethren, be followers together of me. Be followers together of me. It is interesting that that is a word that is only used here in the book of Philippi.

Followers together. And it really conveys the thought, conveys the idea of unity. Likely in relation to the disharmony that was in the assembly in Philippi.

Paul says, follow together. Follow together. Be marked by unity.

And unity is really that which should mark our lives as God's people. In the assembly, we should strive together for the sake of the gospel. That is something that is really found through the book of Philippi.

The theme, the subject of unity. But there is also conformity. Unity, conformity.

Be followers together of me. Being conformed. Not being the same as one another.

But being conformed to the same person. Being conformed to Christ. And in relation to this, unity, conformity.

And Paul says, in relation to this, it is a necessity. Mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. It is interesting to me whenever you come to the book of Philippi, that Paul will use, first of all, in chapter number 2, the supreme example to follow is Christ himself.

Christ himself. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Paul mentions that in chapter number 2. But you will notice that Paul himself patterned himself after Christ.

You will notice that in chapter number 2 and in verse number 17. Brother Scott was reminding us of the drink offering. There was the big offering that was on the altar.

The burnt altar. And then there was the little drink offering that was poured on top. And Paul says in verse number 17 of chapter 2, he says this, Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.

Paul is saying, you're the big sacrifice. I'm just the little drink offering poured on top. Marked by humility.

Paul, the great example. Patterning himself after Christ. It's the pattern of sacrifice.

But then Paul, as he is writing, he then mentions Timothy in chapter number 2. Mentions himself as a pattern of Christ in relation to sacrifice. But then he mentions Timothy. And Paul says in relation to Timothy that there is no other man who will naturally care for your state like as I would.

Paul says, here is a man who is like-minded with me. And whenever it comes to Timothy, his likeness to Christ is in relation not to sacrifice like Paul, but to service. And Paul says this, for all seek their own.

And not the things which are Jesus Christ. But ye know the proof of him, speaking of Timothy, that as a son with a father, he has served me, served with me in the gospel. A pattern of service.

But then he speaks about Epaphroditus. You remember Epaphroditus? He was the man that likely brought the gift of fellowship from the assembly in Philippi. A long journey to Rome where he found Paul in that prison cell.

And Epaphroditus, again, an example that we could follow. Patterned himself after Christ. And whenever you think of Epaphroditus, I think the word that comes to mind is his sympathy.

One who sympathized. One who was marked by his compassion. And in verse number 26 of chapter 2, we read these words.

For he longed after you all. And was full of heaviness. And because he had heard that he had been sick.

Paul and his sacrifice patterned after Christ. Timothy and his service patterned after Christ. Epaphroditus and his sympathy.

Patterned after Christ. The pursuit of a Christ-like pattern. Could I ask you, who are you looking up to? It is sad, I find it very, very sad to hear of cases like Brother Murray has just brought before us.

When men were once an example that we could follow. And no longer that's the case. Could I ask you, dear Christian.

Could I speak to the older saints here this afternoon? Stout, Iowa. Are you leaving a Christ-like pattern? That a younger generation can follow and pattern after? That is something that is needful. That is something that is paramount in Christian experience.

There is not a time that comes whenever in Christian life we can just put the crews on. And just coast through Christian life. We can't do it.

We will end up in disaster. We will end up in wreckage. And that is really what we find in the next passage.

Verses 18-19. Now I don't think these individuals are believers. It is really contrasted with what we find in verse number 17.

And this is not now an example to follow. And the pursuit of a Christ-like pattern. This is the enemies to avoid.

And the wreckage of a Christless walk. The wreckage of a Christless walk. And I think of so many in the world today.

You see, legality. Mark the first of the chapter. Mind you, perhaps, I'm not too sure.

Maybe people understand legality here in Iowa more than they understand it where I come from. Prince Edward Island. But sometimes people, I hear dear saints.

And they hear ministry. And the word of God is faithfully taught. And they say, oh that brother is just legalistic.

Now that is not legality. That is not what it is to be legalistic. You know what legality is? Introducing things that are needful to be a true Christian.

That are contrary to the word of God. So, for example, in the passage here you go to verse number 2. Verse number 2. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers.

Beware of the concision. And the whole background of this passage are those who were Judaizers. A Judaistic background.

And they were saying, listen, if you want true Christianity. Yeah, take Christ. Put along with Christ.

You also need the law. If you're going to be really saved. If you're going to be a real Christian.

Yes, you need Christ. That's all right. But you also need the law.

You need to be circumcised. Now that's legality. That is really putting the focus not only on the work of Christ.

But on the work of the sinner. Now that's found in the world today. Many religious systems.

Many in the umbrella of Christendom, if you will. Are marked by legality. Things that people need to do to keep their salvation.

Or to obtain salvation. So legality is found at the beginning of chapter number 3. But you see verses 18 and 19. It's not legality.

It's licentious living. It's going back to that old world. Brother David reminded us of.

Going back to that old world of bondage. Remember what Paul writes in Romans chapter number 6. How shall we. How shall we who are dead to sin.

Live any longer. Therein. And these people here.

And by the way. There are people today. And this is how they live.

And they profess to be Christians. They say you can be a follower of Christ. But you can live whatever kind of life you want to live.

It's contrary to the word of God. And Paul really identifies the wreckage of a Christless life. What does it end in? You go through it.

Their destiny. Whose end is destruction. Their deity.

Whose God is their belly. Their disgrace. Whose glory is in their shame.

Their distress. Their desires rather. They mind earthly things.

And we need to be careful. That we are not influenced by a world around. And by those who are professed Christians.

That we would not be influenced by them. Enemies. To avoid.

But just for a few moments. I want you to think about verse number 20. And verse number 21.

Lovely passages. Lovely expressions that are found here. And this is not now the examples to follow.

And the pursuit of a Christ-like pattern. And it's not now the enemies to avoid. And the wreckage of a Christless walk.

This is really the expectation to encourage. This is really the hope of a Christ-filled heart. The hope of a Christ-filled heart.

Those who are occupied with Christ. Will reflect Christ in their lives. Those who are occupied with Christ.

Will look forward to His coming again. He is coming again. What will it be to dwell above.

And with the Lord of glory reign. We look around the world today. And we see all that is going on.

We come to the Word of God. And we are impressed with the truth. That is found in the Word of God.

James chapter 5. And verse number 8. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Tell me. What world are you living for? Our citizenship.

Is in heaven. Yes you might be an American citizen. I might be a Canadian citizen.

But remember. We are not of this world. We are in the world.

But we are not of the world. Our citizenship is in heaven. I think of Acts chapter 16.

And in Acts chapter 16. Luke as he is writing the history there. The historian.

Luke the historian. He mentions that Philippi was a colony of Rome. A colony of Rome.

Do you know what a colony was? A colony was really a miniature. A miniature of the great capital. So you would go to Rome and in Rome you would expect a certain dialect.

And in Rome you would expect a certain dress. And in Rome you would expect a certain deportment. And in Rome you would expect certain desires to be found in the people there.

And everything that was seen in Rome. You walked into the city of Philippi. You know what you would think? You would think I am in Rome.

You would think I just stepped foot into the capital itself. I'm in Rome. Because everything in Philippi reflected the great capital of Rome.

You get the picture. Believers of this dispensation were citizens of another country. I'm but a stranger here.

Heaven is my home. As pilgrims and strangers. Strangers and pilgrims is it.

Here we are traveling. Moving toward heaven itself. Now I think it's important for us to reflect something of the character of heaven in our life today.

What about our dialect? What about our language? Is our language the language of heaven? May God help us to have the dialect of heaven. Our dress. The way we deport.

The way we carry ourselves. Is it reflecting the country in which our citizenship is in? What about our desires in life? Our desires. That's a hard one to say.

Are our desires in keeping with heaven itself? The citizenship that we are to express is something that is real. But there is this coming that we ought to anticipate. A coming that we ought to anticipate.

You know it would have been quite a thing. It would have been quite a thing to be in the colony of Rome. Philippi.

And you just never know. Might be the day that Caesar might come and visit. You know our citizenship is in heaven.

And Paul says from whence also we look for the Savior. The Lord Jesus when he comes to the air to rapture the church. He's not coming like Caesar would come.

He'll come to the earth later on. He'll come to the earth to set up his kingdom. Make sure our theology is in keeping with the biblical record.

Don't get things mixed up. That's one of the things. Brother Frank mentioned to Brother Scott this morning in the Bible reading.

What part don't you agree with with Reformed theology? There are some things in Reformed theology that we would agree with. They're biblical. They're sound.

But there's a lot of things in relation to Reformed theology that we would say they're not in keeping with the word of God. And one of the things that Reformed theology has missed is that they say that the church has replaced Israel. Now that's nonsense.

That's not found in the word of God. Israel will have a future. Israel has a future.

And Christ will come in a coming day and he will set up his kingdom. In fact, one of the things that Paul mentions here. Our change.

With what power is Christ able to work out a change in my body? Ah, the same power by which he is able to subdue all things unto himself. The same power. He's coming.

And these old vile bodies. These bodies of humiliation. Bodies of decay.

Bodies of failure. We see dear saints here. Some of them using walkers.

Some of them with hearing aids. Some of us, we have to use our spectacles. We're bodies that are decaying.

But in a moment of time when Christ comes, he will change our bodies of humiliation so that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. His body of glory. Physically like Christ.

Morally like Christ. We learn that in 1 John chapter 3. We shall be like him. And in that passage, John reminds us that he is pure.

John reminds us that he is sinless. John reminds us that he is righteous. And as he is, so we will be in a coming day.

Ah, that blessed day is coming. May God help us. May God help us to look forward to the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The citizenship. The citizenship that we need to express. The coming.

The coming that we ought to anticipate. And just as I sit down, there's the challenge, of course, that we ought to consider. For what world am I living for? What world am I living for? May God help us.

As we leave this conference in a few moments' time and go our separate ways, may God help us to live in light of the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. The hope. The hope of a Christ-filled heart.