Introduction: When you picture a gravestone, what are your initial thoughts? If you’re anything like me, you’ve been asked a hundred times: “what do you want your gravestone to say?” These are well-meaning questions, asking us to think about the legacy that we’ll leave behind when we depart from this life. Last week Steve challenged us to emulate Paul’s earnest desire to follow Christ to the utmost of ends: including death. But the passage concluded with an odd statement: through our faith in Christ, somehow, we will be resurrected from the dead too.
What is our goal? “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (v. 12). It has often been said that satisfaction is the grave of progress. And whoever coined that phrase is absolutely right. When we find ourselves comfortable, or content, we often sit back on our laurels. We don’t have the drive to make any changes. We don’t seek anything new, we don’t seek growth or improvement. We relax and ultimately, we can find ourselves in quite a vulnerable position. Instead, Paul tells the Philippians that he is seeking something. Not that he has already obtained the resurrection or is already perfect, but he’s pressing on to achieve it. Paul knows that we are bound by the curse of Adam. He knows that despite our best efforts, we cannot achieve sinlessness in this life. That’s why Jesus came here in the first place! But because Jesus has made him His own, He yearns for it.
Pressing on: The joy of Christ isn’t something that Paul keeps to himself. He never has. “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v. 13-14). The call of the Christian journey is to share our joy in Jesus. And he forgets his past mistakes and presses on for what’s ahead. For all of us here, the beauty of the statement means that no matter our past, Paul calls us to forget what lies behind and strive for Christ. Paul uses the imagery of a race, doesn’t matter what type of race you’re looking for. But in a race, you dream about crossing the finish line in first place. You can’t turn up on race day without preparation either. If your body isn’t conditioned for it, you’ll never finish. There has to be purposeful training – meaning that leading up to the race, you have to train and prepare your body for what is to come. For Paul, the call of Jesus Christ is the prize we all should be yearning for. In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul argues that “laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing”. We need to be taking purposeful action in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ.
Mature faith: “Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained” (v. 15-16). Recently we were out camping. We went to Somerset dam and it was packed with people. Like sand on a beach… almost. The weather was quite hot and humid, so we decided to take the kids and go to an area set aside for swimming. We got there, and nearby I saw some teenagers getting ready to hope into the water. One of the boys noticed a bird, floating on the water about 100m from shore. It was quite a large bird, with mostly white feathers and a long neck. He called out to his mates: “look, a swan!” But with a long beak, he was actually looking at a pelican!
Sometimes our own understanding lets us down. We can be sincere and wholeheartedly believe something to be true, yet it be quite false. Our understanding is finite, it’s limited. We’re always learning new things. Whether completely new or a correction to something else we’ve believed, we need to be humble enough to pray for God’s direction and guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” And when God teaches and leads us in certain ways, Paul is urging us to hold to that!
Choose your friends wisely: Who you associate with has a significant influence on how your life will pan out. People influence people. So the people that you choose to surround yourself with will have a massive impact on your ability and journey, to follow Christ. I recall in my formative years, I went through a stage of depression. It went on for a few years and as I reflect on how that changed, it was because God changed my sphere of friends. He moved me to a new network of people and as I journeyed with this group of people, I found my walk with Jesus growing again. “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” (v. 17).
Warning: “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (v. 18-19). And here is the reason why the people around us is so vital. If we don’t keep our eye on those who walk according to Jesus’ example, we’ll fall into the ways of the world. And Paul is deeply saddened by this. He’s crying as he pens the letter. Everyone will meet Jesus face to face. When we pass from this life, we’ll come before Him and hear one of two things: “Well done my good and faithful servant”, or “Depart from Me, for I never knew you”. For the many who will hear these words, it will be devastating. Eternity away from everything good. Separated from God. In this lifetime, these people either totally disregard Jesus Christ, or they fail to worship Him as they ought. For these people, their god is their belly. They seek to satisfy the desires of their flesh immediately. There is no sacrifice for the good of God’s Kingdom. These people glory in shameful things. What they think about, consume and watch, is not what Paul describes later in the book as “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8 ESV). The people we spend our time with in this life, will effect how we spend our eternity.
Henri Nouwen penned the following story:
“A soldier was captured as a prisoner of war. His captors transported him by train far from his homeland. He felt isolated from country, bereft of family, estranged from anything familiar. His loneliness grew as he continued not to hear anything from home. He could not know that his family was even alive, how his country was faring. He had lost a sense of anything to live for.
But suddenly, unexpectedly, he got a letter. It was smudged, torn at the edges from months of travel, but it said, ‘We are waiting for you to come home. All is fine here. Don’t worry.’ Everything instantly seemed different. His circumstances had not changed. He did the same difficult labour on the same meagre rations, but now he knew someone waited for his release and homecoming. Hope changed his life.”
Our identity: For us here today, if you’re tired of the mundane. If you’re tired of where you currently spend your time. Perhaps you’re not where you’d like to be. If you’re facing depression, or you’re unhappy with what you’re facing, we need to be reminded of what’s important. We need to look to the hope we have as friends of Jesus.
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (v. 20-21).
When we’re bogged down by where we are today, we need to remember eternity. This life is not all that there is. In the book of John, especially chapter 14, Jesus tells us that He will prepare a place for us in eternity. And here according to Paul, the final part of our transformation into Christlikeness will be on that day when we meet Jesus face to face and hopefully hear the beautiful words “well done my good and faithful servant”. These bodies we have now, they break down. They fail us regularly. They tempt us. On that day, He will impute His righteousness upon us, granting us peace with God for all eternity. Jesus Christ will transform our bodies to be like His. He uses the word transform, not replace. Which means that we’ll still recognise each other – in the same manner that the disciples recognised Jesus after His resurrection. Don’t you long for the day where there’s no more pain? Where there’s no more tears? Where Jesus has made a place for you? A place where you truly belong? Where we’ll be made whole.
Returning to the Gravestones: I was recently listening to some country music and I came across the song “How They Remember You” by Rascal Flatts. Here’s some of the lyrics:
“Sprayed my name on a water tower
Carved it in an old cottonwood tree
Signed a bunch of high school yearbooks
So they wouldn’t forget about me
It wasn’t ’til I saw my daddy’s name in stone, I knew
It ain’t a question of if they will
It’s how they remember you
Did you stand or did you fall?
Build a bridge or build a wall
Hide your love or give it all
What did you do?
What did you do?
Did you make ’em laugh or make ’em cry?
Did you quit or did you try?
Live your dreams or let ’em die
What did you choose?
What did you choose?
When it all comes down
It ain’t if, it’s how they remember you
When you’re down to your last dollar
Will you give or will you take?
When the stiff wind blows the hardest
Will you bend or will you break? (will you break?)
You’re gonna leave a legacy, no matter what you do
It ain’t a question of if they will
It’s how they remember you.”
One way or another, you are influencing people. And when the next generation looks on your gravestone, what do you want it to say? Did you encourage and build up others in their journey of faith with Jesus? Or did you do the opposite? If you’re in a place where you feel you’re too far from God, remember Paul. Earlier in chapter 3 he boasted about how he was the chief of sinners. He was a religious zealot. He followed the law perfectly. He defended Judaism, by persecuting followers of the Way. He was well-educated in Roman and Greek. He was successful in all human manners, yet so far away from God it wasn’t funny. And yet, Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and changed his life. If you’re ready, knock on His door this morning.
Together, as a community, we can agree with Paul as we earnestly await Jesus’ return and the final resurrection and transformation.
“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” (v. 4:1).