Good morning.
My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the assistant pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,
and it's my joy to bring God's word to you.
A special welcome if you are new or visiting with us today.
We're glad you're here.
And we're glad you're here not because we are trying to fill as many seats as possible,
but we're glad you're here because we're following after Jesus together as one community.
And we're convinced that there's no one so good that they don't need God's grace.
And no one's so bad that they can't have it.
And so we're glad for everyone to be here because we believe that everyone needs to hear what God has to say to us in his word.
If you've been with us, you know that we're going through the book of Philippians,
and you know that Philippians is a letter.
It's a letter that's written by a man named Paul, and he's writing it to a church that's in Philippi.
It's a church much like our church.
And you know that this church is in a city much like our city.
And you know that this is a book about partnership in the gospel, that we are together.
We have a partnership.
We're heading towards the same treasure together, and that that treasure is the gospel.
It's the news about Jesus and his death and his life and his resurrection.
And that we can't take those two and separate them apart.
And we've been focusing heavily on the partnership in chapters 1 and 2.
And now that we're in chapter 3, we talked about last week, we're focusing more on the gospel.
Now these things are always related.
They're always together.
So we're not going to separate them.
But there's going to be an emphasis more sometimes on one than the other.
And if you remember from last week, as we focused on the gospel, we saw that there are only two ways to live.
Paul tells this church in Philippi that they can either live in the flesh or they can live in the spirit.
Living by the flesh is what we've talked about saying, be good like I'm good.
What I do and what I can do in and of myself is enough.
I can be good enough.
I can do enough.
Living by the spirit is saying, no one is good.
Only Jesus is good.
I can't do enough.
And I need Jesus to help me.
To help me become more and more like him.
And so while our culture says there's three ways to live.
There's good people that are models that are exceptionally good.
Bad people and then just normal average people.
The Bible tells us there are only two kinds of people.
People who are looking to Jesus knowing that they need him and people who are not.
And so as we continue talking about the gospel here in chapter 3.
As we've looked at the difference between living in the spirit and living in the flesh.
As we end chapter 3 we're going to ask this question.
What does it look like to live in the spirit?
If we've made that choice that we are not going to rely on ourselves.
Remember people who lived by the flesh were people who reduced what needed to be done into this life.
Into a very manageable set of rules.
If we've said no to that and we've said yes to Jesus in his way.
What is it that we do?
What do our lives look like?
And that's what Paul is going to talk about at the end of this chapter.
We are going to be starting at verse 12.
And we're in chapter 3 of Philippians.
You can turn there in your Bible.
It's also printed in your worship guide near the very end.
The entire passage.
And as we come to it remember that this is God's word.
And God tells us that his word is more precious than gold.
Even the finest gold.
And that it is sweeter than honey.
Even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb.
And so read with me now starting at verse 12.
Verse 15.
Verse 17.
Brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
Verse 17.
body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Please pray with me as we
come to this portion of God's word. Dear Father in heaven, we thank you that again and again you come
to us, you communicate to us, that you're with us, that you want us to know what you love and you want
us to love it as well, that you don't just leave us to figure out things by ourselves, but you walk
with us. We ask that you would do that again this morning, that you would send your Holy Spirit to
help us, that we would be able to hear clearly everything that you have to say about yourself
and your word. We ask all these things in the name of your son. Amen. So it's the first Sunday in
November, which means we're quickly getting into Christmas season, and families in America all
often fall into two different categories when it comes to Christmas, either fake tree people or
real tree people. And growing up, my family is very strongly in the real tree camp. However, there were
a few years when I was very young that we would have these very short trees, like two or three feet tall.
And so for the first time when I was probably about two years old, we finally got a real size tree.
This tree was six feet tall. And of course, I was not six feet tall at the time, being two.
But one of the things we had to figure out every year was how are we going to get the star on the top
of the tree? And it's very exciting because only one person is going to be able to put the star on
the top of the tree. And I had two brothers, and so obviously not every one of us were going to get to
do it every year. But for whatever reason, when I was two years old, it was my year. And so, of course,
how am I going to get this star to the top of the tree when I'm two years old and it's a six foot tall
tree? Well, I've told you about my uncle before who works for the State Department. He's partially
involved in the fake rain jackets I told you about. But he used to not be abroad. He used to live close
to us, and we loved this uncle. We loved Uncle Rich. And he would come over to our house, and he'd play
with us, and we just thought it was the best thing that had ever happened to us. And so one time when he
came over, Uncle Rich was the one who helped me get to the top of the tree. So we have this picture
in the Capone Family Christmas book, and my Uncle Rich is holding me up like this. So he's got one hand
below my chest, and then the other hand pulling out my onesie to keep me in place. And he's about six
feet tall. So he lifts me up all the way to the top of the tree. And you can see me like looking down,
and my eyes are just focused on the top, and I have this star in my hand. There's only one thing in my mind,
which is that I'm going to get to be able to put that star on the very top of the tree.
As Paul is talking to the Philippians, that is what he is saying about his relationship with God.
That is what it looks like for him to live by the Spirit. And you see in verse 12,
not that I have already obtained this, or I'm already perfect, but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has made me his own. In other words, my eyes are on everything that I just told
you about. Everything in verses 8 through 11. Knowing Christ, gaining Christ, being found in him,
being able to stand at the resurrection. But the only way I'm able to focus on that
is because God is already holding me. He's already holding me up. He's already sustaining me.
And so I'm reaching out with my little hand, not in my own strength. I'm not doing this. I'm not
earning something. I'm not earning salvation. I'm not earning anything from God, but I'm doing what
he has made me able to do. He's holding on to me. And so I'm going towards everything that I want
that's ahead of me. This is what he's talking about in verse 13. I do not consider that I've 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.
In other words, I want everything that I know is waiting for me in the future now.
I want everything that God is doing to restore the world. I want as much of the future as I can get.
And so it's avoiding two mistakes on the one hand. One would be living
by the flesh and saying, I'm going to do it in and of myself. That would be like two-year-old Matthew
deciding he's going to get to the top of the six-foot tree with the star, which would just end in
tragedy for me. Remember last week we talked about living by the flesh is not just a mistake. It actually
ends in destruction. You can imagine me trying to climb up this six-foot tree and pulling it down on
myself. And so one mistake is believing we can reach the top by ourselves. And the other mistake is
believing that nothing that we do matters. That if God has saved us, that we don't have to worry
about anything else. We don't have to think about anything else or do anything else. But if God has
saved us, then the reality that's true of Paul should be true of us as well. If we've admitted
that the world is not as it should be and we are not as it should be, then it's our longing and our hope
that everything would be made right. Everything would be set back to the way that it's supposed to be.
And so that is what Paul is pressing on towards. He's pressing on towards something that he knows
that he cannot have by himself. And so living by the Spirit means, first of all, that Paul is
looking for this thing. He's looking for the future. He's looking for all the things that God is going to
restore, and he's longing for it. Being a Christian is being like someone who's having our taste buds
slowly changed over time. You know, as children grow older, their taste buds change, and they begin
to appreciate flavors and experiences they would not have appreciated at a younger age.
And that's the kind of growth that Paul is looking for here. He wants to love more and more
the things that God loves and hate more and more the things that God hates. And he wants to see
God's kingdom more and more on this earth. I'm going to jump ahead just a little bit. So his goal is
what he's already talked about in verses 8 through 11, this knowing Christ being found in him,
experiencing the resurrection from the dead, seeing things that are dead brought to life.
But it's also seeing this citizenship that he talks about in verse 20. He's longing for that,
but it's not just that he knows God, but he sees what happens in the world when God is in control.
And so he's pressing on. He's moving forward. And this race image he's using is not saying that he's
trying to win and others will lose. He's simply saying, like a runner, I want to be completely
focused on what's in front of me. I want my longing and my desire and my hope more and more to be for
this upward call of God in Christ Jesus. I want everything to be made right. I want it for myself
and I want it for this world. I want this citizenship that's in heaven. And I know that I don't have it
now. I haven't obtained it. I'm not already perfect. By the way, in verse 12, this already perfect in the
original language is actually a passive verb. I have not yet been made perfect. He's not saying that he is
striving to do for himself, but he knows that God is doing for him. God is the one who's taken hold of
him. And so he longs to see that become true more and more. And so he's pressing on. He knows that he
hasn't made it yet, but he's pressing on. And so what does it look like to live in the spirit and not the
flesh? Living in the spirit and not the flesh means that we want what we know is in the future.
When Jesus comes again and makes everything right, we want the future to be present.
We want as much of the future as we can have right now.
Everyone agrees. Not everyone agrees with Christianity, with the claims of Jesus, but everyone agrees that
there's something wrong with the world. And everyone has their own sort of solution for what would make
things right. And so living by the spirit is not just acknowledging that something's wrong with the
world, which is something that everyone acknowledges, right? If we've lived long enough.
But it's acknowledging that we are part of the problem.
And we are not the ones ultimately who are going to make it right.
But our only hope is that Jesus is going to come back and make all things right.
And so the person who lives in the spirit, by the way, that's what's going on in verse 20, that
this citizenship is going to happen, that Jesus is going to come back and make everything right in
his kingdom. And so the person who lives in the spirit wants that reality more and more. They want more
and more of the future and the present. But they also recognize that they cannot have the future
and the present unless God does it. And so everyone in this world, in some way, is looking for some kind
of future in their minds to become present. But living by the spirit means we know that only God can
bring it about. It's only Jesus who, by his death and his resurrection, is able to make all things right.
And so this is part of the problem of living in the flesh is that we reduce the problems in our
world to something that we are able to make right. We're actually not honest about how broken the
world is. But living in the spirit allows us to be honest about how broken the world is because we
know how powerful the solution is.
And so we can press on because we know that God is holding on to us.
And so Paul is pushing forward every inch of his body, wanting to see this more and more be true.
And he talks in verse 15 about those who are mature think this way.
And then things get a little confusing in verse 15 and 16.
Let those of us who are mature think this way.
And if anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
Wait, what?
First, we have to understand what Paul is saying by mature.
What he's saying is this. The mature Christian
is someone who is living in this way.
It's someone who more and more wants the future to be present.
And someone who more and more realizes they can't do it on their own.
And so as we've talked about before, knowledge is necessary but not sufficient.
The mature Christian is not necessarily the person who has the most knowledge about the Bible.
It's not necessarily the person who understands the most theologically.
But in Paul's mind here, Christian maturity is recognizing that you have not arrived.
Remember in verse 12,
I have not obtained this or am already perfect.
Verse 13,
I do not consider that I have made it my own.
In other words, Paul knows that he does not know enough of God yet.
And Paul knows that he has not arrived.
And if Paul has not arrived,
then I think we can confidently say none of us have arrived either.
Paul who actually saw Jesus,
Jesus who blinded him and then restored him.
Paul who wrote these books that have been inspired by the Holy Spirit admits that he has not arrived.
And that that is the model for Christian maturity.
Christian maturity is recognizing that we have not arrived on the one hand.
And continuing to long and work for everything that God has for us.
wanting more and more to love the things that God loves.
And hate the things that he hates.
And so what Paul is saying in this confusing verse is,
when he says,
if in anything you think otherwise,
God will reveal that also to you.
He's saying,
if you think Christian maturity is something different than this,
as you grow,
you'll finally begin to understand
that I'm actually telling you the truth.
Don't worry if you disagree with me,
God will reveal it to you eventually.
It's probably one of the more blunt lines that Paul has here in Philippians.
And then he has some advice.
If you don't agree with me,
if you don't think that this is Christian maturity,
first of all,
God's going to reveal that to you eventually.
If you grow as a Christian,
you'll begin to understand that you haven't arrived.
Number one.
And number two,
while you're waiting,
trying to figure that out,
I have some advice for you.
See in verse 17,
brothers,
join in imitating me
and keep your eyes on those who walk
according to the example you have in us.
I told you this was going to be a focus on the gospel in chapter three,
but we're not going to lose the partnership.
And so on the one hand,
walking in the spirit
means wanting what is in the future
to become more and more true now
and knowing that only God can do that.
But it also means walking with people
who walk by the spirit.
And if this sounds familiar at all,
from chapter two,
remember we talked about Timothy and Epaphroditus,
if this sounds like the same thing,
yes.
Paul is repeating himself here in verse 17.
Join in imitating me
and making it more explicit.
Look,
if you are trying to figure out
how to walk by the spirit,
find someone else
close to you
who knows these things,
who understands them
and walk close to them.
We talked before
about question people
and answer people,
especially in chapter two.
And in chapter two,
the emphasis was heavy
on the partnership.
And so,
the emphasis on question and answer people
was heavy on
people who understood the partnership.
Remember,
question people
were people who were asking
about the needs
of others around them.
They were focused
on what other people needed.
Answer people
were people they thought
that they had arrived.
And here we have
a slightly different kind of answer
and question person.
So,
we have answer people
would be people here
in this situation
who are smug.
They think they know everything.
They've been there.
They've done that
in the Christian life.
They don't think
they have anything new to learn.
They don't see places
where God could be at work
in their life.
They're not growing
into what Paul becomes
near the end of his life
where he describes himself
as the chief of sinners.
But question people here
are people who know
what Paul says
in verses 12 and 13.
They know that they have
not already obtained
everything that God has for them.
They're not already perfect.
They know that they haven't
made it their own.
But they're pressing on.
They're continuing.
They're trying to grow.
And so,
we live in the Spirit
first when we want
God's future now
as much as possible.
And we know that
we can't do it by ourselves.
But we also live by the Spirit
when we find people
who have learned
to live by the Spirit.
When we find people
like Paul
who are able to say,
I have not arrived.
But I'm following
after Jesus.
I'm looking to Him.
I'm seeking to grow.
I want to know
more and more.
You may or may not know
there was some
pretty big news
in the Colorado Springs
hiking world recently.
This is probably
once in a quarter decade news.
Which is that
I meant 25 years.
Quarter century.
Once in probably
25 years news.
Maybe once in 15.
But there's a new trail
that opened up
that goes all the way up
to the top of Cheyenne Mountain.
And this has been
a place that's been
relatively hard
to reach in the past.
This trail has been
anticipated for a long time.
They started working on it
about probably
about 15 years ago.
And there's a lot of
legal issues
they had to get through.
And so it finally
opened last month.
Now this trail
and of course
when I found out about it
I thought I have to hike this.
I have to get to the top
of Cheyenne Mountain.
We look at it every day
from our church.
But this trail
probably starts
I mean the elevation
of where it starts
is higher than
the highest mountain
on the east coast.
And if you know me
you know that I'm
an east coast boy
through and through.
So this whole
Colorado thing
has been new.
And the point is this
I have no idea
what I'm doing.
And I know
you're looking forward
to some great story
right about how
I did something stupid.
The reality is
I was smart enough
to know what I didn't know
in this situation.
Now that hasn't
always happened
but in this situation
I've been in Colorado
long enough to think
I probably really
want to do this
and I shouldn't do it
by myself.
So I teamed up
with two people
who were born in Colorado.
I thought that was
a smart decision.
And people who
had been experienced
hikers here in the region
for a while.
So we went out
last weekend
and there were
a lot of times
where we got to places
where it wasn't clear
which way the trail
was going.
And so I just hung back
and I would let
these two experienced
hikers kind of
crawl around
and look
and look for
different trail markers
here and there.
They would look for
small piles of rocks
that people had put up
to show us the way.
And because of that
I made it back down safely.
Now I was pretty sore.
I wasn't sure
if I was going to be able
to walk at all
the next day
which happened to be
last Sunday.
Thankfully I was.
But I was able to stick
with those who are mature.
And so I wasn't sure
what to do
or how to proceed next.
I just let them go ahead
and figure out the way.
And so Paul here again
is telling us
what we have already
talked about
and what he has told us before
which is that
when we are trying
to live the Christian life
if we're not sure
what to do
he's given us
people around us
who do.
Who know the way.
Who have walked it before.
Who know what they don't know.
Right?
Part of what made
these other hikers
so skilled
is that they've
been in this situation
before.
They had never been
on this trail before
so they were aware
of their ignorance
but they also knew
the signs
to look for.
Paul is telling us
in verse 17
keep your eyes
on people who know
the signs.
Join in imitating me
and keep your eyes
on those who walk
according to the example
you have in us.
So how do we walk
by the spirit?
How do we stay true
to the gospel?
Well big surprise
again we stick
with the partnership
and so we walk
by the spirit
when we want
to see
God's reign
and his rule
become more
and more in our lives
and we know that
we can't bring
that to bear
and we walk
by the spirit
and we walk
with people
who have walked
with the spirit
for a long time.
And then Paul
begins to tell us
what this future
looks like.
What it is
that we're headed
towards together.
We can join
in imitating those
who know the way
verse 17
or verse 18
there are those
who don't know the way.
They 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.
Now Paul
is not saying
there's a temptation
when we talk
about the phrase
the flesh
or earthly things
there's a temptation
for some Christians
to think
this world
doesn't matter
or earthly existence
doesn't matter
or if I have a job
and it has nothing
to do immediately
with the church
then it must not
be very important.
Paul is not saying that.
When Paul says
earthly things
we have to take
his definition.
Okay so his definition
of earthly things
comes from Colossians.
When he talks
about earthly things
he means people
who are not interested
in Jesus' rule
and his reign.
So Colossians 3
has a long list
of earthly things.
This by the way
is another letter
that Paul wrote
to the people in Colossi.
It includes things
like sexual immorality
covetousness
anger
wrath
malice
slander
obscene talk.
And so Paul's not saying
physical things are bad
or the earthly reality
is bad
what he's saying is
there are people
who want the future
and they want to bring it
into the present.
But then there are people
as one person puts it
who want things
that are present
to become eternal.
They're obsessed
not with
things becoming right
in this world
but things being comfortable
and good for them.
They're interested in pleasure
rather than joy.
And so again
there are only two ways
to live.
There's walking towards
Jesus and the cross
or walking
away from him.
And as we saw last week
we see here in verse 19
this doesn't
just end in a mistake
it ends in destruction.
Verse 19
their end is destruction.
But there's something
more glorious
for the Christian.
Because it says
in verse 20
our citizenship
is in heaven
and from it
we await a savior
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I'm going to pause
here for a second.
When we think citizenship
we might think
a variety of things.
But we have to remember
that Philippi
was a city
that was proud
of its citizenship.
It was a Roman colony
in a land
that was not Roman.
They were in Macedonia
not Italy.
And not every city
had Roman citizenship
and not every city
was a colony
but they were.
And so unlike
the cities around them
Latin was their
official language.
The whole city
was actually constructed
to look like
a miniature Rome.
So as you were traveling
in this non-Roman area
you could come
to Philippi
and feel like
you know I'm not in Italy
but I feel like
I'm at home.
People had reduced
taxes there
and so there was
incredible pride
in being a citizen
of Philippi.
And they would often
refer to the ruler
of the Roman Empire
as a savior.
because he was the one
who protected them
and cared for them.
And so Paul is saying
this city
is thrilled
with its Roman citizenship
but your hope
is in the future
in your heavenly citizenship.
And you think
lower taxes
is good?
Let me tell you
about something different.
So the earthly savior
Caesar can give you
lower taxes
guess what the heavenly
savior can do?
Verse 21
lower taxes
is not a great deal
compared
with a different savior.
A savior who's going
to give you
a whole new body.
Who's going
to restore the world
to what it was
originally meant to be.
And so it's not that
you put your eyes
on things that are
too much.
It's that you want
too little.
Reminds me of a quote
from C.S. Lewis
from his book
The Weight of Glory.
He says this,
It would seem
that our Lord
finds our desires
not too strong
but too weak.
We are half-hearted
creatures
fooling about
with drink
and sex
and ambition
when infinite joy
is offered us
like an ignorant
child who wants
to go on making
mud pies
in a slum
because he cannot
imagine
what is meant
by the offer
of a holiday
at the sea.
We are far
too easily
pleased.
And so what Paul
is saying is
don't be too easily
pleased
with the things
that those around
you are pleased
with.
But look
to this great
future
because we know
what Jesus did
in his first coming
and in his second
coming.
He is going
to return
and what has
been true
of him
will become
true of you
as well.
Just as Jesus
has a resurrection
body
so you will
be given
a new body
as well.
Just as Jesus
is going to
come and bring
justice on the
earth
so you too
will experience
that ultimate
justice.
Just as you
struggle with
sin
and sickness
and death
Jesus is going
to come
and make an
end of all
of that
forever.
And so
look to that
because it's
a greater
and more
powerful
future
than anything
that the
Roman Empire
can offer
you.
And so
when we
live by the
spirit
living by the
spirit means
we're looking
to our
heavenly
citizenship.
Doesn't mean
that we
despise this
world that God
created.
He gave it
to us.
He gave it
to us
perfect.
But we
know that
he's going
to come
and make
everything
right that
is wrong.
And so
we look
forward to
that as
our future
as we
live in
the present.
Like Romans
and Philippi
who wanted
to make
their city
look as
much like
Rome as
possible.
Even down
to the
layout of
its streets.
Paul is
telling us
that people
who live
by the
spirit want
what is
true of
us now
to look
as much
like God's
kingdom as
possible.
He wants
our churches
and our
families and
our communities
to be places
of his
goodness and
his justice
and his
mercy.
And we
look to that
now even
when the
powers and
the authorities
around us
are not
interested in
that.
If you
drive enough
around Colorado
Springs or
really any
major city in
the U.S.
you'll see
all kinds
of grocery
stores that
are ethnic
grocery stores
whether it's
an Asian
market or
an Italian
grocery store.
And there's
lots of people
who aren't
from those
countries that
go there.
They're
interested in
what's to
be sold.
But the
people who
are really
interested there
are people
for whom
that's their
home country.
That's the
place they
came from.
Because if
you're in a
new land you
know one of
the things
that's hardest
is not
having the
food that
you're used
to.
Not cooking
the meals of
your culture
and the
place that
you came
from.
That's one
of the first
things you
might experience
is culture
shock in a
new place.
And so it's
important when
there's enough
people of a
community to
make sure
there's a
place where
they can
find the
things of
their home
country.
So they
can cook the
meals that
they're familiar
with the
things that
they're
accustomed to.
And what
Paul is
telling us is
this.
When we
live by the
spirit, we
want more
and more
to make
the dishes
and the
food of
the place
that we
belong to.
Because we're
longing and
looking for
Jesus when
he comes
back again.
And we
know we
can't get
there by
ourselves.
So we
look to
Jesus to
do it.
Please pray
with me.
dear father
in heaven,
we thank
you that
you have
adopted
us and
made us
your children
for those
of us who
follow after
you.
That we
are a part
of your
kingdom.
Even as we
struggle with
life in this
world, we
struggle still
with the
presence of
sin.
We know
that the
future that
you've given
to us.
So we
ask that
you'd
encourage us
with it.
Father, for
those of us
who have
doubts and
questions and
objections to
Christianity, we
ask that you
would continue
to show the
glory and the
beauty of the
kingdom that
you're bringing.
We ask all
these things in
the name of
your son.
Amen.