Walk The Talk

Philippians 3: 20 "For our hconversation iis in heaven; kfrom whence also lwe look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:" [1]

I.   What

     A. Discussion

     B. Debate

II. Where

     A. Heaven

     B. Home

III. Who

     A. Redeemer

     B. Ruler

Introduction:  Are you tired of all the negativity in the news?  I hear some of you saying what you watch on TV and many are like us.  All we care to watch are old reruns.

Mostly of what is in the news is blaming for the thing that happened.  Now politics is mostly in the news and there is little positivity.  People refuse to find the possibility in themselves for growth of character.  Mostly what is being said is those who were before us messed up everything.  Seldom is ever heard how things have improved as we learned from our mistakes. 

In here talk is supposed to be different though.  This place where we meet to worship God is called sanctuary.  It is the place where we expect to feel His Holy Spirit as we praise Jesus for sacrificing all He is so that we can come back to the relationship with our Heavenly Father that was intended when He created us.

The world is clambering for our attention.  The attraction of Heaven should be greater for the Christian than any other attraction if a Christian is a Christian.  Whether you believe Christian means Christ like or little Christ, being a Christian means that Jesus has control of your heart.

Jesus was tempted after His baptism.  The devil used self-importance as the temptation.  Jesus used God’s written word to retaliate.  Paul reassured the Philippians that they could indeed follow his example but he followed with a warning.  There will always be many others who are ready to distract our attention and detract from The Heavenly Truth.  Jesus is that Truth.

As we continue in Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, Paul explained why they and all Christians can trust those marked with God’s finishing touch.  If you read for speed, many times words within the parentheses are overlooked for understanding of what the writer was saying.

To understand the message better in the last part of chapter three, if you skip the parenthetical expression you would read from verse 17 to verse 20.  Paul’s reason for marking those who walk with God is explained after that second “for” that comes after the closing parenthesis.

Looking at it the way Paul intended we learn that we should mark them who walked in front of us because their conversation is in heaven.  Verses 17 and 18 are important but they are a different subject that explains a different aspect and that’s why they are separated and included within their own parentheses.

To paraphrase verse 17 and the beginning of verse 20, many walk with heavenly conversation and those should be marked as viable examples to be followed.  Yet we must not ignore the warning between the parentheses.  Many others walk also.  Paul said he was crying as he was telling that those others are enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ.  Those people are bound for earthly things.  We certainly must be aware of that truth but parenthetically or as a side note.

As Christians, our conversation must always be in heaven because that is where we will walk.  As we consider those who are against the cross of Jesus, we should see through tears of sorrow as we realize they need our example and not our hatred.

Scripture:  Today’s scripture is Philippians 3:20.  When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.

Prayer: Please be seated

Message:  The three main points of the outline are what, where, and who.  First Paul told us what we must do.  When we put this paragraph together from verse 17 to the end of chapter 3, Paul spoke of those who walk.  When we walk we move from one place to the next place.  It is a journey that requires our movement.  To walk means that someone else is not carrying you.  You are consciously carrying yourself from one place to another.  You are not standing still.

Figuratively, everybody moves themselves from place to place.  Physically walking is one thing but a person can be on a journey from place to place in other many ways.  Karen can sit in her car listening to a song on the XM radio’s Christian station and she is transported to another place in her heart and it has nothing to do with where the car is headed.  We are all influenced or moved by those people and things that we allow to affect us.  What is that which moves you?

Paul spoke of conversation.  The type of conversation that is mentioned here from the Greek is not like a preacher or some other orator giving a one way speech.  To have a chat with others concerning a common interest is the idea here. 

To have a discussion of ideas so that we as a church can come to an agreement and be moved from where we individually were to where The Holy Spirit can take us as a church family is the idea.  We all do not come into the conversation with the same opinion so we argue.  There are arguments which are actually good things because argument that leads to consensus is how we reach agreement.  We get all our ideas out in the open and most times we learn different things from each other.  If having more than one opinion is a bad thing then there would have been no reason for having four gospel accounts.  We learn from each other when we listen to each other.

So what is mostly in the center of debate as you converse with those around you?  Is it coronavirus, maybe politics, maybe your pastor and his wife, could it be someone else in the congregation; is it Heavenly conversation?

There have been heavenly conversations ever since God created us.  How in this world are there so many Christian denominations?  Not to mention the other religions that don’t put Jesus first!  Why are there so many?  It’s what happens when we don’t bring an argument to a conclusion.  It should be OK.  It certainly shouldn’t be a thing that divides Christians if they really are Christ centered Christians.  These types of debates or conversations should be the thing that brings us together.  It’s called Bible Study…

To see where the where is in our outline, let’s go back and read that part between the parentheses.  18 "(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are bthe enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 cWhose end is destruction, dwhose God is their belly, and ewhose glory is in their fshame, who gmind earthly things.)" [2]

Our conversation should be heaven centered according to Paul.  Heaven is the answer to where.  Where are we walking to?  If we are earth anchored then we are not heaven bound.  This is not our eternal home!

There are others on a different walk.  It’s terrible to watch!  Do you hear any talk of what Jesus did on the cross for anyone from anyone who gives their opinion of the world news?  I have actually heard politicians denounce people who hold firm to the Bible.  They talk more of the destruction of the planet than the beauty of His creation.  They insist that others must forfeit what God has allowed them to have so that they can feed those who would return the favor by voting for them.  The only vision they have is what they see themselves doing.

Who are we looking towards?  Christians have no need to look for a savior who saves us from worldly problems!  We have the one and only Savior who was, is and always will be Jesus the Christ the Son of the Most High God and He has saved us from the penalty which we deserve. 

When Paul said we look for The Savior it means that we are looking towards, in the direction of, through the direction of, and because of Jesus.  It does not mean that we are looking for something that we have not found.  Unfortunately though, many are looking for a savior.

As a bystander, listen to the difference in conversations.  What are most people talking about?  Are these some examples?  When is someone going to come up with a cure for this thing so that we can go back and open the gyms and the bars?  How many more local stores are going to close before this thing is over?  How is the stock market doing today?  Why are those people not wearing masks?  How dare those people!  The governor said no church!  They sued him and won and they won’t listen to science.  I hope they all catch the virus.  That’ll teach them.

Teachers and others who are there to serve are concerned that they will get sick but children are missing out on what we took for granted.  People are being told to stay away from their doctors because the health care workers must be protected.  What are the topics of conversation?

I gotta admit; before the restaurants opened, Rachael and I were worried about our bellies too.  I’m getting tired of cold take home food.  I’m glad I got one eye fixed before this thing happened.  Guess I’ll learn to live with one good eye and one bad eye.  When can we get back to normal?  Well I did get the other eye fixed easier than the first one.

The restaurants are opening back up and soon after the elections the children will be back in school.  God is teaching us that we must have conversations about Him.  Things are slowly returning to normal as we Christians are learning the hard lesson of patience and hope,

Isn’t it amazing that in the midst of all the mess, instead of hedging from more trouble, God seems to sometimes pile on even more to the Christian?  You know about Rachael’s knee.  We went through that while this virus thing was happening.  The community had terrible things that happened that sheltered us in a way from the dread and worry about what else was going on in the world.  Through those that others might call distractions, God was showing us what we should really be concerned with.  Each other!  He will take care of the other stuff when we concentrate on Him. 

What should we be doing with our conversations?  Where are we going as His Church?  Who is the center of it all?

Prayer:

Invitation:  The invitation specifically for Merry Oaks Baptist Church this morning is to open the conversation about what we can do now with the resources that God has given us right here, right now?  Some have offered ideas of giving alternatives to those in our community of how we local churches might reach out together to attract those who are looking for a savior.

We have a unique opportunity in the midst of all that is happening to give an alternative to despair.  Are you open to welcome others into a Heavenly conversation?  So who will start the conversation?  Tag I’m it!  He spoke to you folks first, you called me as He led you to do, I finally said yes.  You call me pastor and I feel the Spirit tugging that He wants us to open our hearts but I know He is calling you more than He is calling this old worn out man.  What is He calling us to do?

Tonight as we meet for prayer and study, I beg you; if God is giving you an idea that might bring others out of their locked in homes to a place where they can sit and talk six feet apart with masks on if that makes them feel safe, if you have some ideas, we will talk about them this evening.  One of you has already had an awesome idea and we will talk about that one.  But there are more Christians and more ideas and the Holy Spirit is bringing Heavenly conversations that He wants us to debate and bring to the community.

Jesus wants to move and change people and He will if we give ourselves to Him.  Paul said this about Jesus, “21 Who shall mchange nour vile body, that it may be ofashioned like unto his glorious body, paccording to the working whereby he is able even qto subdue all things unto himself.” [3]  As we sing our hymn of invitation let us consider how we might change our walk with the world to a conversation with others about the attraction we have for Jesus.  Hymn ###

h See ch. 1:27.
i Eph. 2:6. So Col. 3:1. Heb. 11:16. & 13:14. Comp. Prov. 15:24.
k Acts 1:11.
l See 1 Cor. 1:7.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 3:20). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
b See 2 Cor. 11:13. Comp. ch. 1:15, 16.
c 2 Cor. 11:15. 2 Pet. 2:3 (Gk.). So 2 Thess. 1:9. 2 Pet. 2:1.
d Rom. 16:18. So 1 Tim. 6:5. Tit. 1:11, 12.
e Comp. 2 Cor. 11:12. Gal. 6:13.
f 2 Cor. 4:2 marg.
g Col. 3:2. So Rom. 8:5.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 3:18–19). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
m 2 Cor. 11:13, 14, 15. So 1 Cor. 4:6 in the Gk. Comp. 1 Cor. 15:51.
n So 1 Cor. 15:43, 48, 49, 53. Comp. Col. 3:4.
o So ver. 10. See Rom. 8:29.
p Eph. 1:19. Col. 1:29.
q 1 Cor. 15:28.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Php 3:21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.