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Titanic director James Cameron claims to have found the tomb of Christ with bone box inscribed with his name and the names of Mary and a Son named Judah. Is this an amazing breakthrough in biblical archeology? Something that will shake all of Christendom to its foundations? Or is this something we have seen before? These "new understandings" and "breakthroughs" are nothing new. St. Paul knew about similar attacks on Jesus and the Christian faith. In today's Second Lesson he wrote: "As I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ." We know that Paul wrote about people who were teaching many strange things about Jesus- the same kinds of things we see on the news today. This is nothing new. There are enemies of the cross of Christ, and they seek to undermine the cross of Christ. God's encouragement this morning is to stand firm against the enemies of the cross. You must or else. You can through Christ.
Philippians 3:17-4:1 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. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! The Philippians were well loved by Paul. They were Paul's partners and supporters. He longed to be with them, and thinking about him gave him joy. He had a special place in his heart for them. They had knowledge, depth of insight in the scriptures, but they were not without problems. Let's just stop right there. How often don't we think that if we have everything right, all our spiritual ducks in order, there will be no problems? That would have been news to Jeremiah, wouldn't it? In our Old Testament lesson, he was doing everything right and that caused problems. Less we think that no difficulty means we're right, we have the prophet Jeremiah and the letter to the Philippians to set us back on track. The Philippians had enemies. They were enemies that the Philippians made. In fact, these were people who came to the Philippians with advice that was very enticing yet deceptive . First, there was a religious group in town that called themselves Christian but insisted that anyone who really loved Jesus had to keep the same Old Testament religious laws that Jesus had kept. They went so far as to say you couldn't be saved unless you kept those laws. Second, Philippi was a prosperous military town. Prosperity brought its list of temptations. Because their basic needs were provided for, the people in Philippi could look into other interests, and they weren't always good interests. The people had the means to pursue what they enjoyed. They didn't have to focus on where their next meal was coming from. They embraced whatever would satisfy them. Paul had this to say about both of those groups. 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. That's pretty hard language for a few pious Jews and a gang of pleasure seekers. There was a real danger to people in both groups, and it was a real danger. Both of these groups were setting aside the God of the Bible and replacing Him with the god of their emotions. That's what Paul meant when he wrote, their god is their stomach The fun loving gang with time and money on their hands wanted to feel good. Whatever made them feel good was what they embraced. The pious Jews wanted to feel good too. They wanted to feel good about religion. They were ready to believe in Jesus but they wanted to contribute something, they wanted to feel good about their part of the action. They didn't just want to be spiritual, they wanted to feel spiritual. You know what? We live in Philippi. Do you want to find some of those pious people who want to feel saved? You'll find them here. People look for what religion does for them. Itching ears itch for what feels good. Do you want to find pleasure seekers, looking for whatever makes them feel good? You'll find them here. F-E-E-L-I-N-G. That's how you spell god in America. There is a growing group of people in our society that doesn't look to God or the Bible to decide what's right and good. They decide what's right and good on the basis of how it feels to them. They'll say, “I know what my church teaches, but that just doesn't work for me.” I know that the Bible frowns on living together before marriage, but how can something that feels so good be wrong?” Paul says about people like that: Their God is their stomach. Now feeling isn't all bad. Feeling is part of the love we have for our spouse and children, even for God. But when how you feel about something becomes more important than what God says about something, then how you feel becomes your enemy. Paul called feelings that set themselves up against God enemies of the cross. And what happens to enemies of the cross? 19 Their destiny is destruction. People who try to find fulfillment apart from God will never find it. Instead, they will find hell. Now you know why Paul told the Philippians: Stand firm against the enemies of the cross. You must stand firm or else you'll end up where they're going to be. Do you sense an urgency in Paul's voice? The enemies of the cross are seductive and destructive. Not only does he urge, Paul instructs, 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. This advise made perfect sense to the Christians who were reading this letter, because they had seen Paul's example in the words he wrote just before this text. Listen: But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.. (Philippians 3:7-15) There is the example Paul wants us to imitate. With his goal set, he was nothing but determined. Just like someone else we know. Someone we heard about in our Gospel lesson, who walked toward his goal with determination that not even King Herod could waver. Jesus wouldn't let King Herod deter him from the cross. We can stand firm against the enemies of the cross by following the example of Jesus. That's the example Paul imitated and its the example he urges us to follow. Jesus give us more than an example. Jesus was determined to reach his goal because he wanted to give it to us. Jesus wanted to die so he could give us life. He carried the sins we committed. He endured the punishment for sin so that we could avoid the punishment. He became the guilty one so that God would remove the guilt from us. He came to earth so that we could get to heaven. Why would we want to set our sights down here when we know we're going to end up there? Why would we put our feelings ahead of God when we know how God feels about us? Why would we be concerned about making this body comfortable when we know we're going to get a new body in heaven? 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. Stand firm against the enemies of the cross. James Cameron's documentary is just another link in a long chain of enemies of the cross. The enemies of the cross are subtle and they are dangerous. They fooled the Philippians and they've fooled a few people in this town. Don't let them fool you. Stand firm against the enemies of the cross. Look to Jesus. He gives you everything, the race has been won. The battle is over. He'll lead you where you want to be and where he wants you to be. Amen. |