(Philippians 3: 14-4:1)
We’ve all had role models at one time or another in our lives that made a real impression on us. And I’ve had many for many different reasons as I experienced the twists and turns of life. I won’t even begin to try and name them all because in doing so I may miss one or two or fail to mention one who thinks they were a role model. In our role modeling we hope to exhibit a behavior that makes a favorable impression on some person or group of persons that they can use as a guide in how they approach life or handle certain situations. And, as a role model, you vainly hope that you made the right impression and that you are not forgotten and remembered in a favorable light.
For example, I got a Facebook text over a year ago from a man who inquired as to whether or not I was the same Scott Rosekrans who used to live in Warners, New York, was a Camillus Policeman, and coached little league baseball. I replied that I was. He responded that he was one of my players, although not very good and I probably wouldn’t remember him, but that he remembered me driving my police car to practice sometimes and coaching in uniform. He remembered that he always got to play and didn’t have to ride the bench, and how much that meant to him. I thanked him for the memories and asked him what he was doing now. He told me he was married with kids and was a Baptist minister in Iowa. He had already figured out by my Facebook posts that I was a Methodist minister which gave us something else we had in common to talk about and connect. We actually had more in common than he realized. I played baseball and also wasn’t very good. What I brought to the team was a warm body, that ninth player. My only skill was an incredibly slow and easy to hit fastball, but it was in little league baseball that I learned everyone was part of the team and could contribute in their own way, even if it was in merely modeling a behavior that treated everyone else the way you would want to be treated.
And modeling that Christian behavior is what the Apostle Paul is talking about in his letter to the church in Philippi. Paul had written this letter around 61 A.D. from Rome where he was imprisoned awaiting trial for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and modeling a “do unto others” behavior that was contrary to the status quo. He had established the Philippian church on his second missionary journey, and it was the first church established on the European continent. He was writing to thank them for a gift they had sent him and to encourage them in their faith.
In the letter he talked of attaining Christian perfection, an evolutionary process, where he admitted that he had not yet attained perfection, but that he was pursuing it just as Christ pursued and grabbed ahold of him. He said: Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. The Philippian Christians knew all about Paul and his past. They understood the reference he is making regarding his past and the fact that it is a part of who he is, just as our past is, a part of who we are. In Paul’s former life he was a Pharisee who zealously pursued new Followers of the Way in an effort to quash this “do unto others as you would have done unto you” movement. He had even held the cloaks of those who stoned the Apostle Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death. He’s reminding us, through his example, that we’ve all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. He says that’s all behind him, he’s been forgiven, and his new goal is to pursue the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. Paul is reminding us that it’s because of our hope in Christ that we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. He continues by saying: So all of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, and if anyone thinks differently, God will reveal it to him or her. Only let’s live in a way that is consistent with whatever level we have reached. He’s telling his readers that those who are mature in Christ should press on in the Holy Spirit’s power, knowing that Christ will reveal and fill in any discrepancy between what they are and what they should be. That fact right there is very comforting to me as I hope that as I grow as a Christian and follow the lead of the Spirit that Christ reveals to me more and more of what I don’t know and fills in any of the discrepancies when I miss the mark.
That being said, Paul goes on to urge the Philippian believers to: become imitators of me and watch those who live this way—you can use us as models. He reminds them of the many times he told them about people who live as enemies of the cross, contrary to the teachings and sacrifice of Christ. He says that their lives end with destruction. Their God is their stomach, and they take pride in their disgrace because their thoughts focus on earthly things. What he’s saying is that these people are led by their immediate desires, what feeds their present hunger, and what saddens Paul is how they take pride in their disgrace. They are living in the moment and not for the moment of the judgment of God. He reminds his Philippian brothers and sisters that they are just like them and if they need an example, a role model to live by, then imitate them and the other mature Christians who live according to God’s will. The Apostle then says: Our citizenship is in heaven. We look forward to a savior that comes from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul tells them that Christ will transform their humble bodies so that they are like his glorious body, by the power that also makes him able to subject all things to himself. Paul’s telling them to transfer their citizenship to heaven and forget about all that the world has to offer. Stop pursuing earthly pleasures and treasures. Store up your treasures in heaven. Don’t be like those self-indulgent followers who claim to be Christians but don’t live up to Christ’s model of servanthood and self-sacrifice. These people are more intent on satisfying their own desires before even thinking about the needs of others. He urges them to stand firm in the Lord.
So, how do we stand firm in the Lord when there is so much going on all around us? I mean this has been a tough two years with COVID, a contentious presidential election and all the fallout and ensuing discord, rising inflation, and now a war that by all appearances could escalate into World War Three. Well, the way to stand firm is to keep our eyes on Christ, to remember that this world is not our home, and to focus on the fact that Christ will bring everything under his control. Standing firm means steadfastly resisting the negative influences of temptation, false teaching, or persecution. It requires perseverance when we are challenged or opposed. Don’t lose heart or give up. It is God who promises to give us the strength of character to stand firm. And we aren’t in this by ourselves. We have the help and guidance of the Holy Spirt and other fellow believers who are there to help us stay true to the Lord.
That Christian maturity we seek involves acting on the guidance that we’ve already received. We can always make excuses that we still have so much to learn. And that’s what Paul was talking about, we’re a work in progress. The instruction for us is to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already learned, which begs the question: What kind of follower would a new Christian become if he or she imitated you, saw you as a role model for Christ?
Let us pray.
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son, how we cherish and honor you for all you have done for us, your unworthy children. You are our soul’s glory, joy, and crown. We praise you for the life you led when you lived among us and for the unselfish and servant’s attitude you displayed to all those you encountered whether they needed to feel your love and grace or to learn by your example of what it means to be a true servant of God. We praise you for forgiving us of our sins and wrongdoings and not holding them against us. We thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads us in the paths of your righteousness and for those times when you filled in the gaps of what we did not yet know as we grew in our Christian maturity. Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations! Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine. Amen.