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LSB Philippians 3:16 - 21

16 However, let us keep walking in step with the same standard to which we have attained. 17 Brothers, join in following my example, and look for those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 18 For many walk—of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping—as enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their stomach and glory is in their shame, who set their thoughts on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself.

We finished last Sunday with a brief look at verse 16 and I included it this morning as a bridge for us.

Paul is talking about walking. The christian life is seen as a walk. It has a beginning and a destination. And in between those two distinct events, we walk. With Jesus.

If you are truly regenerated, truely a christian, born again, to use a term almost rendered useless by Satan these days, if you have been quickened from death to life, spiritually, you walk with Jesus from the moment of the quickening to new life on into eternity together with Him.

Paul has been battling with false teachers who want to disturb christians, who want to interrupt that walk. They want to convince christians who are walking just fine to go down some dead end road and stall out.

To the galatians, Paul says: You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? Gal. 5:7 They were running the race. They were walking the christians walk. And doing that Well! Something caused them to stall. It was a false teaching. Become a jew first, then be a christian. DO STUFF. In order to be saved, do stuff. Jump through god hoops.

In verse 16, Paul tells us to never stop walking with Jesus.

16 However, let us keep walking in step with the same standard to which we have attained.

To go chasing after some false teacher down some dead end road jumping through some kind of religious hoops is to go backwards. Don't get side tracked. Don't pause. Don't stall out. Keep moving forward in a day to day walk with Jesus. We meet Him in His book, and in prayer, daily. Don't go backwards.

The grammar of the verse is enlightening. The word translated walking in step, one word in the greek, stoichein, is to march in step. There is a cadence. It is the word used to speak of an army marching together taking the same steps together.

And the word translated as same standard is the single greek word, kanoni, we get our word canon, and it was used as a measuring device. A ruler. A level. A plumb. A standard which is measureable.

So, literally, we are told to march in step to a measureable standard.

If you think about it, every christian should be walking very similarly to every other christian, because we all have the same ruler. The same standard, which is the Word of God. This book is our authority. Our common standard wherever in the world a christian lives. Same authority, same Jesus, same book, same measure, same stride.

If I go to Ukraine, or Russia, or Mongolia, I should find true believers who have discovered the words of this book, and the Jesus of this book, and who walk exactly the same as I do.

The book and it's author are a common denominator. Christians in Uganda have the same book by the same Jesus as christians in America. Right? That is what we have attained to. Same Jesus, same book, same walk. Anywhere you go.

It's fascinating to me that so called christians in the United States who are United Methodist have wandered down a false dead end road of our culture. They have rainbow flags flying out front of a church with a woman pastor. But the United Methodist church in Africa is calling the wayward American churches back to the biblical standard. In Africa the church has the same standard, the same ruler as the church in America, except the American church has chosen to abandon the standard.

All christians everywhere have a common standard and a common Lord. So we march the same as each other in every place . . . if we're obedient to the standard. The Bible.

17 Brothers, join in following my example, and look for those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

This week on Grace to You, Pastor MacArthur has been teaching about discernment. Discernment is choosing. Doctrinal clarity and conviction causes us to choose one way over another way.

And he pointed out something that has come up from time to time in our church. We are antithetical here. What does that mean.

Well, think about it a little bit. I know, big words hurt your brains. Too bad. In the theoretical world we have thesis and antithesis, right. Someone says; thesis, 2+2=5. And then someone says antithesis, no, 2+2 doesn't equal 5. 2+2=4

The word antithetical comes from that idea. Someone is right, and someone is wrong. And I get in trouble all the time because the culture is saying one thing and I am antithetical. No, the culture is wrong, and here's what is right.

Well, our culture says, how dare you be so megamaniacal as to say you're right and someone else is wrong. How can you possibly be so horrible!

Well, it isn't me that is saying so. It's this book. And we believe the book is God breathed. We believe this book is the final and sole authority on spiritual and moral matters. Therefore, if that is true, then we have an authority that clearly states something is good, something is evil. Something is right, something is wrong.

The culture says men can get married to men. The book says that is sin. Such serious sin that in God's theocracy with His chosen people, you took those guys outside the camp and stoned them. Death penalty for that serious sin.

We don't do that now. We aren't under God's civic law in a theocracy. But it lets you know the seriousness of the Creator to that kind of rejection of creation design. That's antithetical to our society and culture.

And if you want to find out how tolerant our so called tolerant culture really is, just get antithetical about anything it has decided is right and you have the audacity to say, no, that's wrong. God said so. In His book.

Think about Israel and God's civil law given through Moses. Rules rules rules. Washings, Cleansings. Stop. Go. Don't go. But it taught Israel God has a way and the world has a different way. Something is right according to God, and something is not right according to God. We operate differently than the world. We walk differently than the world.

God commands His church to be antithetical in this world. Look again at what Paul just said in verse 17;

17 Brothers, join in following my example, and look for those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

Whoa!!!! you say as your team of 8 horses skids to a stop!! Whatever happened to judge not lest you be judged. That's a contradiction! I'm going to throw my Bible away. It contradicts itself! Because Paul very clearly tells us in this verse to judge how other believers are walking.

I'm not going to waste my time interpreting Matthew chapter 7 for you, you can go read that passage in context again and if you still can't figure it out, send me an email, I'll come right over and help.

But right here, Paul clearly says, we are to use some discernment. 17 Brothers, join in following my example

Paul is marching in step to the cadance of the rules of this book. Do what he does. , and look for those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

Again the original language is helpful. The word translated "look for" is skopeite. The root word is skopos, to take aim at, to zoom in on in our language. We use the word today. If you're a hunter your rifle has a scope. Same word, same idea.

We can push that analogy a little. If you hunt you have dual skopos. You gaze through your binoculars looking for the animal you're hunting. And when you find it you take aim with your skopos.

Paul says we are to scope out those who lead us in the church. And use some discernment. Choose for yourselves teachers and leaders who walk the same way that Paul does, and Paul's first and second level helpers do. They all walk according to the book.

Paul learned to march in step with Jesus. Then he taught other men how to march like he does, which is the same as how Jesus does. Same ruler. Same measure. Same book. Same walk. Look for the pattern of doctrinal clarity in alignment with this book, which aligns with Jesus and with Paul.

Hey, if someone comes and starts teaching you something that is antithetical to the clear doctrines of this book, that's your first clue. Don't follow that guy. But suppose he's so close, you're thinking, this guy sounds OK, I can't put my finger on any black and white issures, then discernment goes to the next level. How does that person walk? With God? Is he walking according to the pattern that Paul walked by?

Unfortunately, discernment is more important than ever. Judgement is absolutely necessary. How many preachers out there are motivated by money? How many church leaders are in some position of authority driven by sexual perversions. It's on the news almost daily.

The saints at Galatia could have avoided a dangerous dead end road they were lead down into some kind of quasi judaism in order to be pre-qualified for salvation.

Paul literally chews them out because they were not discerning! How could you be so stupid! You idiots. Gal. 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things for nothing—if indeed it was for nothing?

Paul gets very antithetical, doesn't he. You stupid galatians following someone who is totally and completely out of step with Jesus and with us! You fell for a different gospel! Idiots.

What motivated the judaizers? Lust. Money. Power over people. Worldly motivations. There are only two possibilities. This world's motivations, or this book's motivations.

Paul goes into motive for those who fall out of step with this book in the next verses.

18 For many walk—of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping—as enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their stomach and glory is in their shame, who set their thoughts on earthly things.

At some level, this world, ruled by Satan, and Christ, who owns the christians who walk in cadence with His book, are mutually exclusive. Differnt. Distinctly different.

Paul sold everything in this world, to have Jesus. To walk with Jesus. What did he get back from this world? Rejections. Stonings. Beatings. He was homeless.

In a way, those judaizers had found a "middle way". Part christian, part world. Judaism accepted them because they incorporated Moses into this new Jesus stuff. So the jews weren't so angry with them. Making jewish proselytes out of christians. Weilding power over people. All stuff the world either enjoys or tolerates.

The church today is desperately looking for "middle way's". We want to make being a christian acceptable to our culture. Hey, christians can be cool. We've got music that can damage your hearing. We've got pastors in skinny jeans with wife beater shirts and tatoo's. Come on in world. We're just like you.

Ease back on the book. Let the book go. We have one semi famous name preacher who tells his church to "unhitch" from the old testament. Look more and more like the culture. If we can make the culture comfortable, we can get them into the churches and I guess somehow we can trick them into some form of culturally acceptable christianity. Just get them in the door and they'll become quasi christian by osmosis?

Oh, and there's big bucks to be made. Stop marching in cadence with God's word. Stop being antithetical and telling people they're sinning. Stop singing those hideous old hymns. And above all, stop preaching.

Preaching needs to find it's own middle way. It needs to be a 15 minute Ted Talk that makes people feel good about themselves. Make them laugh. And then do a bunch of "you're OK, I'm OK" type stories. Then tell them God's going to give them all of their hearts desires.

Christianity is a value added addition to your worldly portfolio. You're rich but God will make you richer. You're great but God will make you greater. It's all about you, and God can hardly restrain Himself from pouring out more riches and greatness upon your head.

It's exactly what Paul points to in the verse following the one where he tells us to use good judgement and discernment and find yourself leaders to follow who follow how Paul walks.

If you don't do that, with doctrinal clarity and conviction, there's plenty of these guys he describes in vss 18 and 19 to go around.

18 For many walk—of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping—as enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their stomach and glory is in their shame, who set their thoughts on earthly things.

Discernment is guided by observing those who want to be leaders and teachers in the church's heart citizenship. Because Jesus taught that where someone's treasure is, there will their heart be also.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This is a guiding principle Paul is bringing out to the Philippians here. False teachers hearts are anchored to this world. Because without Jesus, this world is all there is.

They set their thoughts on earthly things, because this earth is all there is to them. What motivates those who lead and teach in the church. And ultimately this is true for every christian. This is the standard for all of us.

Are we living for here and now as though this is ultimately all there is? It's all about where your heart lives.

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

This can be a tough problem for us to discern. We can err into judgementalism. Many of you enjoyed our patio at our home 2 nights ago as we gathered for some feasting together. God has blessed us with material things. A lovely home and even some toys. We had just gotten back from a camp trip in our Airstream trailer.

Does the fact that God has poured out blessing on us indicate that my motivation in this world is to gather toys. We used to see a bumper sticker that said, He who dies with the most toys wins. Ever see that? Is that where my heart is at? How can you know.

Abraham's wealth was so large that he had to move to a different county than his nephew because the cowboys from the two outfits were stepping on each other. Did that mean Abraham's heart was anchored to this world?

And don't even talk about David's wealth that God poured out on his head. Or Solomon's which actually did ultimately cause him a problem in the end. He had heart drift which caused him some shipwreck.

Paul speaks of this very thing with Timothy. This heart focus. This is a biblical example of what Paul speaks about in our passage. Perhaps it's the exact event Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Philippians. We don't know. But the problem is identical.

18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some, having rejected, suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

Faith and focus are at the root of the problem Paul describes here. Hymanaeus and Alexander set doctrine and conscience aside in order to achieve worldly goals and they became shipwrecks of faith. Paul basically excommunicates them here. That's as much as we know.

But the root problem was a heart shift. A focus shift. What are our deepest heart desires? Are they rooted in this world, or the next world. Those are huge questions and the answers aren't always ascertained by looking at what someone has. We need to discover what motivates someone's heart.

In the same passage where Jesus taught that where your treasure is at is where your heart is also, He goes on to teach this truth which complicates things.

33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mt. 6:33

God pours out blessings on those whose hearts are rightly ordered. So someone can be seeking God as their heart motivation in this world and God blesses them with worldly stuff to enjoy.

Likewise we have many cases in church history of people who were ascetics. Live in a cave. Have nothing. Barely covered with some old cloth. Eating crickets. Denying your body everything possible to deny yourself. For God?

And the hard work of denying yourself things becomes a works self righteousness and a proud heart of how impressed God must be with your self denial and it has the exact opposite effect with God. He hates those inner motives based in self accomplishment and pride.

If you want to discover motivations for living, listen to what someone teaches. Does it line up with this book? Does it line up with men who historically had fruitful and God blessed ministries in His church.

I really encourage you to go to Grace to You dot org this week and listen to the whole series called a "Plea for discernment". We're in a cultural war that says any kind of discernment is evil. But if you read your Bible, on virtually every page someone is making either a good choice, or a bad one, A right choice or a wrong one.

The entire book is a history of good and bad choices. Discernment, making right choices, based on the crystal clear doctrines of this book, is life choice, or death choice. No wonder Satan's world teaches that discernment is evil.

Paul ends this section in the logical place where christians who use discernment to march in cadance with Jesus ultimately walk to. We're walking to a destination. We're walking discerningly so we don't wander down dead end roads that aren't going to where we're walking to.

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself.

We walk wisely, we walk discerningly, through Satan's world, we use our armor, we deflect his bullets, we're walking to heaven. That's our home. That's where we are citizens. Not here in this world. We are foreigners in this world.

I've inherited a little song book from my parents, called Youth Sings. It was published in 1950 and was used by my parents at Prairie Bible Institute. P.B.I. had their own print shop where my Dad worked to help pay his tuition I think. I remember as a child of 5 or so, the noise, and the machine that stapled small books together.

Song number 111 is called; This World Is Not My Home. It begins;
This world is not my home, I'm just a passin through. My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me, from heavens open door. And I can't feel at home in this world any more.

Music and words were by Albert E. Brumley. I know nothing about Albert E. Brumley, but it sounds like he discovered the same book, the same walk, the same cadance, and the same destination that I have.

We are foreigners in a foreign world and each of us who has Jesus living in our hearts has a longing to be home. I'm a square peg trying to fit into a rouind hole in this world. I'm a fish out of water.

There's a famous C S Lewis quote about being lost in a woods. Someone sees a signpost! Finding a signpost when you are lost is a great matter, says Lewis. Then another, and another. Soon they are closer together. We're on the path, on the way. But Lewis says, we don't stop to gaze at the signposts. We would have Jerusalem.

We have this longing deep within us. We're fish out of water here. We've tasted Christ by His indwelling Holy Spirit. We have the promise ring. But we're longing for the wedding.

20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by His working through which He is able to even subject all things to Himself.