A Reminder From the Apostle Paul

What this episode covers

Philippians 3:17-21 Blank Outline Completed Outline scroll to 19:40 for beginning of sermon Philippians 3:17-21 All right, well if you can remain standing, we’re going to read just a few verses from Philippians chapter 3 verses 17 through 21. This is what Paul wrote to the Philippians 2,000 years ago and to us today. Join together in following my example brothers and sisters. Just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For as I often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their God is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our holy bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. We have been journeying through the book of Philippians and this morning we’re going to come to the end of chapter three. Of course, next Sunday we’ll think about a resurrection day message and then we’ll in the following weeks finish off chapter four of the book of Philippians. And you know the background by now. Paul’s writing from prison. He’s under house arrest. He’s in Rome. He wants to have a trial before Caesar and so he’s waiting for his trial. He doesn’t know if he’s going to live or die. His life’s really kind of up in the air. Paul ended up being under house arrest in Rome for two years and he makes wise use of that time. He writes four books that we have in scriptures. They’re called the prison epistles. The book of Philippians is one of them. He begins to share the gospel and he leads some of those in Caesar’s household to Christ. And so, Paul is writing this letter partially as well as a thank you note because the church at Philippi had taken up an offering and they had a gift and they sent it with Epaphroditus and he traveled 800 miles from Philippi to Rome to deliver this gift to Paul and now Paul’s sending a thank you note back to them and that’s really a nutshell what the book of Philippians is all about. This morning, we want to think about four reminders. Four reminders that Paul gave to the Philippian church and I have to tell you as I look at these reminders these four reminders are just as applicable to us today as they were 2,000 years ago and we’re going to look at all four of them this morning. I. follow godly believers So, let’s start with the reminder number one and it’s found in verse beginning in verse 17 and here’s the first reminder that Paul wanted to remind the Philippian believers and you and me. Follow godly believers. Here it is verse 17 we just read it. Join together in following my example, Paul writes, brothers and sisters and just as you have us as a model keep your eyes on those who live as we do. So, Paul’s encouraging the believers there to model their life after the apostle Paul and to find other godly believers that that you can look up to and can use them as a role model for your life. This is really we’re talking about discipleship mentorship but Paul says I need you to follow godly leaders. Now on our day of social media today we have a lot of followers. I’m on I’m on Facebook. I very rarely post on Facebook but I’m on Facebook because it helped me keep up with what’s going on in other people’s lives and in all of your lives. Just a reminder I read all your Facebook posts so just remember that but then I’ve not gotten beyond the world of Facebook until this last week and early in the week Diane my wife sent me a link that was only on Instagram. I’ve not been on Instagram so like I want to see what that is so I quickly joined Instagram and guess what I started to get this rush like oh I’ve got now I’m getting notifications. I have followers now. I think immediately I was up to 15 and so I hate to disappoi

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