Sermon Feb. 27, 2013 Lent Mid-Week

Title: Be Imitators, by keeping your eyes upon Jesus!

Text: Phil. 3:17-4:1

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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.

4 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

President Calvin Coolidge invited some people from his hometown to dinner at the White House. Since they did not know how to behave at such an occasion, they thought the best policy would be just to do what the President did. The time came for serving coffee. The President poured his coffee into a saucer. As soon as the home folk saw it, they did the same. The next step for the President was to pour some milk and add a little sugar to the coffee in the saucer. The home folks did the same. They thought for sure that the next step would be for the President to take the saucer with the coffee and begin sipping it. But the President didn't do so. He leaned over, placed the saucer on the floor and called the cat.

Source Unknown.

When we think about imitation I would caution you about whom you imitate. But we can know that, as God’s children:

Be Imitators, by keeping your eyes upon Jesus!

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

This call of imitation from the Apostle Paul is a good word for the church in Philippi and for you and me as well. Look to those, he tells them, who have a life lived in the Spirit of Christ and keep your eyes on them. They are a good example for you and one that will make your walk with Christ better and more joyful.

Now, you may think who should I model myself after? Who would be a good example? Should I look to someone in the church who has the appearance of faith life and model them? Well, I’m sure that there are a number of people here who would be good examples.

But Paul brings up a few things for the Philippians to consider:

18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Boy, that’s hard to hear. Many people in the Philippian Church have become, because of their walk, enemies of Christ.

19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

The question Paul, wants and I what to know is why? Why place your trust in things of this world and in things that will not endure when there is a gift in Christ that brings the bliss of heaven to those who only deserve death and condemnation. But in spite of our failures:

Be Imitators, by keeping your eyes upon Jesus!

Ill.
On February 15, 1947 Glenn Chambers boarded a plane bound for Quito, Ecuador to begin his ministry in missionary broadcasting. But he never arrived. In a horrible moment, the plane carrying Chambers crashed into a mountain peak and spiraled downward. Later it was learned that before leaving the Miami airport, Chambers wanted to write his mother a letter. All he could find for stationery was a page of advertising on which was written the single word "WHY?" Around that word he hastily scribbled a final note. After Chambers' mother learned of her son's death, his letter arrived. She opened the envelope, took out the paper, and unfolded it. Staring her in the face was the question "WHY?"

No doubt this was the questions Jesus' disciples asked when He was arrested, tried, and crucified. And it was probably the questions Joseph of Arimathea asked himself as he approached Pilate and requested the Lord's body (Matt. 27:58). It must have nagged at him as he wrapped the body in a linen cloth, carried it to his own freshly hewn tomb, and rolled the massive stone into its groove over the tomb's mouth. In the face of his grief, Joseph carried on. He did what he knew he had to do. None of Jesus' relatives were in a position to claim His body for burial, for they were all Galileans and none of them possessed a tomb in Jerusalem. The disciples weren't around to help either.

But there was another reason for Joseph's act of love. In Isaiah 53:9, God directed the prophet to record an important detail about the death of His Messiah. The One who had no place to lay his head would be buried in a rich man's tomb. Joseph probably didn't realize that his act fulfilled prophecy. The full answer to the why of Jesus' death was also several days away for Joseph and the others. All he knew was that he was now a disciple of Jesus -- and that was enough to motivate his gift of love.

From our Gospel for today:

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Paul now reminds the Philippians:

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Their citizenship is in heaven. Why? -Because of Christ and His sacrifice, and the gift of faith in His all sufficient death, for you. But, Paul here is calling those in the church to walk as imitators of him who is called by the Lord Himself to be Christ’s representative.

Now, Paul is speaking for God as he wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And so, his words are God’s words. In the same way, preaching today, speaks forth God’s words to you in our day, so that you can hear from God and live out your faith according to God’s desires.

Now, what are those desires that God wishes for you? What is the work of God in the life of the believer? What is it that God wants for you and me and all whom the Lord our God will call?

29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29)
Be Imitators, by keeping your eyes upon Jesus!

Ill.

As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they not consumed. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them."

Today In The Word, June, 1988, p. 18.

I’ve mentioned Dietrich Bonhoeffer recently in a sermon, as I had the opportunity a week ago to hear Eric Metaxas speak about Bonhoeffer’s life and ultimately his death at the close of WWII.

Pastor Bonhoeffer was arrested in April 1943 and imprisoned in Berlin. After the failure of the attempt on Hitler's life in April 1944, he was sent first to Buchenwald and then to Schoenberg Prison. His life was spared though, because he had a relative who stood high in the government; but then this relative was himself implicated in anti-Nazi plots. On Sunday April 8, 1945, after he had just finished conducting a service of worship at Schoenberg prison, two soldiers came in, saying, "Prisoner Bonhoeffer, make ready and come with us," the standard summons to a condemned prisoner. As he left, he said to another prisoner, "This is the end -- but for me, the beginning -- of life." He was hanged the next day, less than a week before the Allies reached the camp.

His confession, and the confession of all who trust in Christ, is made possible, not because of our will, but because of the working of the Spirit of Christ in the life of the believer.

Because:

… our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body (after death) to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Christ will glorify those in Christ … just as He was glorified. So, Paul is making the appeal to them and to us, to stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Those who stand firm do so because:

We are Imitators of Christ by keeping our eyes upon Jesus!

Christ Jesus by His Spirit working in us makes us imitators of Him, though so imperfectly. We fail and fall short, but by the Spirit of God working through the word we are being made into his image, being sanctified and being made Holy. Christ, by His all sufficient sacrifice, has made peace with God for you and now will conform you into His image by the Holy Spirit in you who points you to Christ and leads you through the word into Holy living.

Be Imitators, by keeping your eyes upon Jesus!

Our St. James Men’s Club meeting last night looked to study a bit about being a man of God. And we will take each point of this study and unpack it as we together meet and grow in our faith together as God by His Spirit will direct. But our first study points to a Godly man having faith in God. It pointed to us to two psalms that speak about a Godly man but can speak to any one of we who are in Christ and God working in us.

Psalm 34:8
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 84:12
12 O LORD of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

By the power of the Holy Spirit we who are his children trust in Him. God be praised for his glorious gifts to His children now and forever!

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen