Philippians

Chapter 3: Focus on Jesus

Genealogy was very important in the ancient world. Most Jewish families could trace their ancestry for thousands of years and they took special pride in which of Jacobs twelve sons they descended from. Equally important was their mark of ethnic and religious identity: circumcision. About 150 years before Philippians was written, a Jewish king named Aristobulus, who wanted to reestablish the Promised Lands original boundaries, conquered a neighboring nation called Iturea (Edom in Old Testament times) and circumcised the people by force. Paul was nearly killed several times at least partly because of he claimed that true circumcision was a heart-thing, and that the physical act didnt matter (Acts 9:29, 14:30, 22:22). Jewish people held their distinguishing customs with incredible ferocity. But their zeal often came out of their own self-righteousness rather than from a true and pure love for God. I. Good things are actually bad things if they distract us from Jesus (v. 1-11). A. Paul opens the second half of the letter explaining that most of it will be stuff theyve heard before. Its easy to tune out on fundamental truths. But if we listen with our hearts and not just our ears, well be amazed each time. B. Jews commonly called Gentiles dogs. They believed God hated Gentiles because they were evildoers. If a Gentile wanted in they needed to prove it by enduring circumcision. Paul turns their insults back on them. He says that their belief and attitude makes them the true dogs, the real evildoers, and that their circumcision was fake because it was only physical. C. True circumcision means what God really cares about. He wants us to worship from our hearts, without comparison to others, without caring how we look or sound, and without judging ourselves or others as good or bad. No matter what end of the sin-spectrum we think were onwhether we feel like were hopelessly stuck or if we arent currently aware of any wrongdoing God invites us to worship Him for His goodness (instead of focusing on ourselves). D. The Jews believed that by enforcing their moral, ethnic, ideological, and religious distinctives they were honoring God by staying holy (which means set apart). But in reality, they were acting the same as every other group in the world. Nations, religions, political parties, and subcultures tend to look down on outsiders, define themselves as holy, and force newcomers to pay a price for whatever salvation they offer. In contrast, God wants to empower His people to welcome outsiders, to worship Him alone as holy, and to freely offer to others the blessings they have freely received from Him. True holiness really does set us apart. But its not about being morally superior. Rather, its about receiving Gods love and acceptance which enables us to love and accept people when they least deserve it or expect it. E. Paul claims that if God cared about pedigree or religious performance he would win hands down. Many scholars think that Paul had been in line to Todd Millikan!
March 17, 2013! 1

The Coastlands
www.coastlands.org

become the next Jewish high priest. But Paul says what he had previously considered assets, he now considered liabilities. In fact, fully appreciating Jesus meant purposefully depreciating everything else in his life. II. Were lifetime-learnersif we stop growing, we start dying (v. 12-16). A. Jesus has grabbed ahold of us. With a firm grip on our shoulder, Hes pointing out for us ways to think and live that will bless us and cause us to bless others. He will never let go and He will never give up. We press forward in response to His lovingly relentless pressure because we dont want to miss out on His dreams for us. B. Our future in God is not secured or jeopardized by our past actions. It doesnt matter how great or how bad weve done. If we think weve arrived, we spiral. If we think weve failed, we stall. The past is past. All that matters is now. Every moment is a fresh opportunity to worship and follow Jesus. He alone knows the future Hes dreamt for us, its secured by the price Hes paid, and its realized by simply trusting and following Him (no matter how many successes or failures we have along the way). III. We are citizens of heaven advancing our culture into earth to prepare it for the coming of its King (v. 17-21). A. Sadly and frustratingly, there are people who claim to believe in Jesus, who use our language and ideas, but who have very different goals. They want what they wantand its the same things the world wants. They show off with their holiness but they are destined for destruction. They intimidate normal people into thinking theyre too messed up for God to love or use them. B. Part of living as a citizen of heaven means allowing God to empower us to contradict our natural desires (our appetite, see v. 19). God promises to fulfill our deepest desires (Psalm 37:4, Proverbs 3:13-18), but He wants to help us delay that gratification. Getting it now is called sin. Waiting and believing God in the long run is called discipline. C. We live in a weird in-between time. Although when He raised from the dead Jesus beat sin and death, they still act like theyre in charge. Our bodies and minds are like cars with bad alignmentthey veer toward sin and death constantly. They crave lustful, selfish thoughts and behaviors even though they know its stupid and empty. The world is misaligned, too. But soon Jesus will come and fix it all. He will give us new bodies and our minds wont mess with us any more. Neither will the devil and his demons. And the world will work like its supposed tono more tragedies, wars, disease, or poverty. In the meantime, He has given us the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live and think differentlyas citizens of the fix-it, heal-it Kingdom. Although we dont get it right all the time, if we stay focused on the truth that Jesus is coming to finish the job, well keep giving it our best.

Todd Millikan!
March 17, 2013!

The Coastlands
www.coastlands.org