Model Behavior
(Philippians 3: 17-4:1)
Back when I was a Houston Police Officer, I worked undercover which gave me an excellent opportunity to watch people when they thought no one was watching. Some of those people were on-duty uniformed police officers. One time my younger brother was riding with me and as we turned onto a busy street where all the nightlife happened, we got lit up by a patrol car. My brother asked me what I had done, and I told him nothing but that we looked like we needed to be checked out. I let the officers do their thing and after they let us continue on our way my brother asked me why I didn’t tell them I was a police officer. I told him that they didn’t need to know I was an officer and that it was my way of seeing for myself how police officers acted when they thought nobody was watching. Were they modeling behavior that reflected good or poorly upon the department? As police officers sworn to uphold the law we are, fairly or unfairly, held to a higher standard whether on duty or off duty. We’re not to act like everyone else.
And that’s exactly what the Apostle Paul meant when he said: Brothers and sisters, become imitators of me and watch those who live this way—you can use us as models. He’s telling the Philippians to watch what he does and model his behavior as an example of what it means to be a Follower of the Way of Jesus Christ. Paul had a big target on his back, and he knew it. He was a former Pharisee who had gone over to the other side so he had the Jewish elite and religious leaders who were constantly watching his every move just waiting and watching for him to make a mistake or say something they could misinterpret and twist his words. And then, he had others who professed to be Christians who were looking to grab a little power and influence of their own, to have their own followers, have church the way they thought it should be. He continues by reminding them: As I have told you many times and now say with deep sadness, many people live as enemies of the cross. Their lives end with destruction. Their god is their stomach, and they take pride in their disgrace because their thoughts focus on earthly things. He says a mouthful here and he’s not just talking about non-believers. I can say that because he points out that he’s making this criticism with sadness, as in: it saddens him to say this. If it were non-believes that were saying these things, that were living an unChristlike life, it wouldn’t bother him so much. They don’t know any better. I believe he’s talking about those who profess to follow Jesus Christ, those who may even have professed with their mouths and believe in their hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord, that he was and is the Son of God, was crucified and raised from the dead, and sits at the right hand of God the Father, but that they’ve fallen away. They have become consumed with their earthly existence, satisfying their earthly desires, to the point that their lives become focused on the hear and now and not the hereafter. Their lives, he fears, will end in destruction.
To his readers he says: Our citizenship is in heaven. We look forward to a savior that comes from there—the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform our humble bodies so that they are like his glorious body, by the power that also makes him able to subject all things to himself. It’s a matter of living for today or living for tomorrow. For those of us who live for today it’s just a matter of doing what feels good and benefits us and ours. For those who choose to live for tomorrow it’s a matter of living a righteous life that brings honor to God in all that we do, even when we think no one is watching.
So, Paul’s question is to which empire, Roman or Kingdom of God, do our goals, lifestyle, and mission bear witness? I gave this question some thought and, at first, I thought the answer was obvious. God’s kingdom, of course. But then I reflected upon the current state of affairs and what I see and hear what self-professed Christians are doing and unashamedly saying and I’m not so sure. And then I thought about how authoritatively Paul spoke and remembered his Jewish upbringing and what the God of Abraham said about treating His people. In Zechariah 7: 8-10 it says: The Lord’s word came to Zechariah: The Lord of heavenly forces proclaims: Make just and faithful decisions, show kindness and compassion to each other! Don’t oppress the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the poor; don’t plan evil against each other! And in Jeremiah, chapter 7: 5-7, it said that Jeremiah received the Lord’s word which said: No, if you truly reform your ways and your actions; if you treat each other justly, if you stop taking advantage of the immigrant, orphan, or widow; if you don’t shed the blood of the innocent in this place, or go after other gods to your own ruin, only then will I dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave long ago to your ancestors for all time. Now I understand why Jesus chose Paul to be his apostle to the gentiles. He speaks with unquestionable authority and has the word of God to back it up. He can go all Old Testament on them.
Paul is so convicted by the obedience of Jesus to death on the cross and God’s raising him from the dead that he goes all in for Christ. This forms the core of the gospel. For him it makes no difference if he is confronting a false teacher who is twisting the Word for their own benefit or an opponent of the church, of which there are many, because the church, the true church, is standing in their way, opposing what they do or say when it harms others contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul’s focus is on the centrality of the cross and a life shaped by following Jesus. In Jesus is the hope of transformation through the resurrection of the body. Paul is hoping that by embodying his teachings the Philippians, and us, can maintain a unified witness to the watching world, which is why he says: Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord.
Paul is talking about the freedom we have in Christ, but it is not a freedom for us to do whatever we want, it is not a selfish freedom focused only upon ourselves. It’s a freedom that means taking every opportunity to serve and to become the best person you can be. But Paul worries that our freedom, our judgment may become clouded when we become so concerned with earthly trivia that during those times when we should be focused on God, like when we are in worship, our minds wander; or we are so consumed with work that worship and time spent with God is inconvenient, when we are so busy planning the next fun event that there is no time for prayer. When that happens, we must stop and ask ourselves if too much of our time is spent on efforts that will not endure in eternity. Are we seeking earthly pleasures or satisfying our physical desires at the expense of others? If so, we must stop and set our minds on knowing Christ, not on the counter-productive pursuits of this world. Sadly, too many Christians have failed to transfer their citizenship to heaven. They still seek earthly pleasures and treasures instead of heavenly ones.
So, if we are going to model Christlike behavior in a world bent on unChristlike behavior we are going to have to stand firm against all forms of opposition and aggression. Standing firm means keeping our eyes on Christ, to remember that this world is not our home, and to focus on the fact that Christ will bring everything under his control, and they can’t do a thing to stop it from happening. Standing firm means steadfastly resisting the negative influences of temptation, false teaching, or persecution. It requires perseverance when we are challenged or opposed. Sometimes it means getting out of our comfort zones. We must not lose heart or give up. We must rest assured of God’s promise to give us that strength of character that will serve as a model of behavior for those who desire to know and follow Christ.
Let us pray.
Gracious and loving Father, how grateful we are that you chose us as your children. We are thankful for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us just because we have professed that your Son, Jesus Christ, is Lord and is our Savior. What a blessing it is that we are saved and that our future is secure and that there are no strings attached, nothing more that we can do to secure and keep this salvation. May we show our gratitude by modeling our behavior in ways that glorify you and draw the searching and lost ones to you. And during these trying times when it would be easier to look the other way or do nothing when something needs to be done to stand firm. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Model Behavior
It’s a freedom that means taking every opportunity to serve and to become the best person you can be. To view service live, click link below;
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19PdGQevft/