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This morning, I am continuing in a sermon series through the New Testament book known as Philippians, which is a letter written by the Apostle Paul from a Roman prison to a church in Philippi that he had started. This morning, I will be in 3:17 – 4:3.

Philippians 3:17 – 4:3 - Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.  18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.  20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,  21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 4:1-3  Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!  2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.  3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Paul begins this passage by encouraging them to follow his example, as well as others who follow the example of Jesus, like Timothy and Epaphroditus. We talked about this in an earlier sermon, but I want to again remind you of the importance of living examples.  As DL Moody put it, “Out of 100 men, 1 will read the Bible, and 99 will read the Christian.” Paul is not saying to follow him because he is perfect. Remember that in the previous section, he said that he is not perfect, but he is pressing on to know Jesus more:

Philippians 3:10-14 - I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Follow not my example of perfection, but the example of how I am pursuing Christ and not putting faith in my spiritual resume but in Jesus’ death for me.

In the passage we read this morning, Paul contrasts two groups of people. One group, he says, live as enemies of the cross of Christ.