Well, good morning to everyone. A little bit of snow this morning made for an interesting drive in. I got a couple of those driving down the road there with my wife. 

Well, we're working through the book of Philippians. And I was thinking last week or so about Paul's statement that he presses toward the mark, that he has this goal in mind, that he's striving and agonizing toward Christ's likeness and glorification. And so I kind of want to go back and pick that thought up and then move into chapter 4 this morning. 

We've seen a consistent call from Paul for unity in the church, that we all may have the same mind, the mind of Christ, that mind of service and self-sacrifice, and a focus on God's will for our lives. We saw in Paul's own testimony in chapter 3, the passion and purpose of his life, the goal in striving forward. 

If you look at verse 13 of chapter 3, he says, "Brother, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do. Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 

Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. It's really a challenging text, convicting words. If I had to say for my life, this one thing I do, and Paul says it's striving towards the mark. It's pressing toward the goal of Christ's likeness. 

Well, as I was studying for our text this morning and pondering the words of Paul here in chapter 3, it made me ask myself this question. What am I working toward? What am I working toward? 

My parents were born in the early 1930s and they grew up poor, especially my mother. But one thing that was instilled in me in my youth was hard work, a work ethic, and the desire to be working toward a goal, to be productive, to produce something, to accomplish something. The real satisfaction is the work. 

And I have to tell you, it's very difficult for me to do nothing, to sit still, to waste a day away. It's the way I was raised, the way I'm built, I guess. But I find great satisfaction in working toward a goal and producing something. 

And I'm grieved to see a culture, young and old in our country now, who are working toward nothing. I read a quote from a man this week that struck me. He said, "Our culture is a culture of comfort, not a culture of accomplishment." 

Bobby and I traveled to Glacier National Park a couple years ago for our 30th wedding anniversary. And we drove across Glacier on what's called the Going to the Sun Road. Has anyone else ever been there? I have to tell you, this is an amazing place, the beauty of the mountains. It's really unbelievable. I struggled sometimes being so close to the edge driving. It was really an interesting experience. 

But what struck me most about this 50-mile road carved out of the sides of the mountains was that a man stood there in 1911 and looked across that incredibly rugged country and said, "I'm going to build a road to the other end of this park." 

Bobby and I hiked a few miles up in those mountains and stood at the lookouts. And I said, can you imagine, as we looked over those mountains, can you imagine in 1911 just surveying this area, hiking up and down mountains and plotting a path, retreating and going a new way for weeks at a time? 

And men set an impossible goal and said, "We will make a road that cars can travel to traverse this new national park and see the wonders of God's creation." And they did it, 50 miles from Glacier to St. Mary's. It took about 20 years, a 22-foot-wide road with 30,000 linear feet of pipe and box drainage culverts all faced with native stone and 40,000 feet of historic native stone guardrails. All the guardrails on the road are made from stones from the location. 

And several men died during the construction. They were working toward something, a goal, an accomplishment. They were striving, had a passion and a purpose. And this seemed true of that age in the early 20th century. Men were doing great things. 

I was thinking about the Hoover Dam. Six years to build, 96 men died. Enough concrete in the Hoover Dam to pave a two-lane highway from New York to California. When Thomas Edison surveyed the site in 1902, he thought he could generate 7,500 kilowatts of energy. It now, at maximum capacity, generates 2,080,000 kilowatts. 

Or how about the Panama Canal? It's been in the news lately. 1904 to 1914, 5,069 people died building that canal. Before the canal was constructed, ships had to sail all the way down around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America and then sail back up the other side, covering approximately 12,500 miles. The fuel price for an average freighter to go now is $275,000. But to go around the bottom of South America is $750,000. 

How much has that changed trade as we have 14,000 ships a year traveling through that canal? Men had vision. They had a desire to accomplish great things, to meet goals. 

So the question before us this morning is, what are we working toward? I remember when my son-in-law, Sam, moved in next door to us on the farm. He started coming to Bible study, spending some time at our house, chasing my daughter. 

But I remember one day, he came over and he told me he was having trouble sleeping. He was having anxiety. And I asked him, what time did you go to bed last night? And he said, "3 AM. I was up playing video games all night." 

So I told him we could fix his insomnia and anxiety. And he started to work with us on the farm. He worked with Ron and Doug and my buddy, Jeff, on his farm. And I remember one day, we had cleared about 10 acres of brush and woods with a dozer. And we were going to finish with some handwork, cutting brush, picking rocks, getting ready to disc and plant the grass. 

And Jeff was sitting on the dozer. And Sam came over in the morning. And Jeff looked down at Sam. And he said, "Sam, do you like goals?" I always thought of that. I mean, we were going to pick rocks all day. Sam told me a couple weeks later, and somewhat surprised to himself, I think, he said, "Boy, when you work hard all day, you don't have trouble sleeping at night." 

Goals, purpose, accomplishment, what are we working toward? And all of these things are wonderful in a worldly sense, producing, providing for our families, having enough to share with those who have need, as we see in Ephesians 4. But what is the real passion of your life? 

What is it as a believer, as a citizen of heaven, that really matters, that you're working toward? That's the question we need to ask ourselves. And Paul reminds us in our text that it's not about earthly things, but about eternal things. 

Our time here is a time away from our home, in a foreign place. And we are ambassadors for Christ, seeking to win the loss by word and by the witness of our lives. Christ-likeness, heaven, fellowship with Christ, this is the deepest desire of our hearts, the passion that God has put in us. And it is His desire and intention for us. We are to be continually working toward it. 

Let's start reading back in Philippians 3.17. "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven. From which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." 

Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. I implore Yodi, and I implore Syntyche, to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

I've given you five points on the outline this morning: citizens of heaven, promise of His coming, my joy and crown, stand fast, and unity. 

Well, first in our text, we see that we are citizens of heaven. Paul gives us his personal testimony of his total transformation in Christ and salvation, and the purpose and meaning of his life, pressing toward the mark of Christ's likeness, setting his goal, his focus, on the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This is what we see in chapter 3 coming up to our text. This is the passion of his life, consummating in glorification and eternity in heaven with Jesus. 

This is the mark he was ever pressing toward seeking to obtain. And so he says, follow those as examples who walk in this way and avoid those who set their mind on earthly things, who teach false ways, who look to fill their own bellies and work for their own gain. He summarizes that by saying, those who set their mind on earthly things. This is the real lesson, the contrast in our text. 

Setting our mind on earthly things, seeking our own satisfaction versus reckoning who we are, our citizenship in heaven, and God's goal for us, His purpose in us to make us like Christ and take us home. 

Look at verses 20 to 21 again. He says, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." 

Well, Philippi, the city and its citizens, had a unique position in its day. It was very far from Rome, about 620 miles. You can imagine how far that would be in that time. But it had been granted the position of a Roman colony, a Roman city. It could rule itself, but it also possessed all the benefits as well as the responsibilities of a colony of Rome. 

The people of Philippi thought very much of themselves as Roman citizens. And this was a point of pride and privilege for them, as well as responsibility. So Paul takes this, and he relates it very appropriately to the saints who were there in Philippi, because they, too, were citizens of a faraway place, possessing all the benefits and privileges as well as responsibilities of their true home in heaven. 

In Hebrews 11.13, it says, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." 

Peter says, "I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." When we believe Jesus, we became citizens of heaven, sons of God, co-heirs with Christ. And all the benefits of being a citizen of heaven are ours in Christ, as well as the obligations. 

Paul is imploring the believers to understand and consider their true home, their true desire, their true purpose in their time on this earth. "For our citizenship is in heaven," he says, "from which we eagerly wait for the Savior." This is the promise of His coming. 

This is what we're looking forward to. We're setting our hope fully on the grace that will be revealed at His coming. Not only is our home in heaven, but we, as we live here, are eagerly anticipating the coming of our Lord to take us to be with Him in our home forever. 

We comment on the word translated wait or look in verse 20. He says, "The composite word speaks of an attitude of intense yearning and eager waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus into the air to take His bride to heaven with Him." The attention being withdrawn from all else and concentrated upon the Lord Jesus. Eager anticipation. 

Our attention being drawn from everything else and focused on the Lord Jesus. This is the consummation of our salvation. When Jesus comes, we're glorified together with Him. Our goal, God's goal for us in this life, the mark we are to be pressing toward ever stretching out after is Christlikeness, sanctification, holiness for witness for the glory of God. 

In the end of this, the final goal is glorification together with Christ in heaven. This is expressed in verse 21 when this promise, this beautiful promise, "He will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." 

This lowly, humble body. My body gets more humble every year. I was always happy with being average, you know, but it gets more humble every year as you age. When He comes, He will transform our lowly body into His glorious body. 

So when a man is saved, when he turns, as Paul did, from trusting in his own works and religion, seeking to establish his own righteousness, and receives by faith the righteousness of God, he is transformed inwardly, regenerated, what Jesus called born again, made new. 

God takes out our heart of stone, puts in a heart of flesh, He quickens our spirit, causes His Holy Spirit to indwell us permanently. There's an inward transformation. In verse 21 of our text tells us, at His coming, Jesus will also transform our outward body and give us a new glorious body. 

Turn with me to 1st Corinthians 15, please, at verse 39. 1st Corinthians 15, 39. Paul's addressing some who denied the resurrection of the dead and is discussing the futility of that, and he goes on to explain here a little bit, resurrection. 

He says, "All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and other birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies, but the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another." 

"There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." 

"It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There's a natural body and there's a spiritual body, and so it is written, the first man Adam became a living being, the last man Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust, the second man is the Lord from heaven." 

"As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust, and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we also shall bear the image of the heavenly man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption." 

"Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 

"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'" 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 

We are working toward something, something amazing, something profound and great. We have a goal and a purpose. Notice Paul's words in verse 58. Because this is true, because glorification is as sure as the promise of God, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, now in this life, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 

Setting your mind on eternal things, striving in this life, enduring persecution and trouble, swimming upstream, seeking the things of God, Christ-likeness, witness, holiness, all of this labor, this agonizing, is not in vain. It has a purpose and a conclusion, a consummation. We're going somewhere with this. God has a great purpose and glorious conclusion to our life now on this earth, and the earthly things will all come to naught. But the eternal things, they are what matters. They are the things that last forever. They are what our life is really about. 

Notice the first words of chapter 4 in our text. He says, "Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved." What is the reward of this life? What will we have when Jesus comes and transforms us outwardly and takes us to heaven? 

Will it be our 401k, the material possessions and wealth that we have accumulated? Will it be the prestige and position we've gained in this world? What will we have? Paul says not only his joy, but also his crown, his reward, his people, his men and women saved, his believers in Christ who are bearing fruit for the glory of God. 

He says, "You are my joy, my present joy of ministry and life and struggle and toil. You are my joy, and you are my crown." What a statement. Only eternal things, the things of God, will last, and this is found primarily in people. Our life, our conduct, our words, our work, our witness in this world all contribute to the plan and purpose of God in eternal reward as much as we set our mind and goals on heavenly things. 

But the real goal is people, is salvation, is sanctification, is fruitfulness. Our real joy is people. Now in this life, in this world, what joy do you have that compares to witnessing and leading someone to faith in Christ? What joy compares to fellowship in Christ, encouraging one another, glorifying God in all that we do? 

Now I know and believe that all things, no matter what we do, even in our eating and drinking, Paul says, that we do all things to the glory of God, that it's all worship in the right motive, and even the mundane things of the world matter in that we do them in service to the Lord for His glory. 

But all of this comes to fruition in people, and people were Paul's passion—leading them to faith in Christ, seeing Christ formed in them, seeing fruit produced for God's glory. This was the joy of Paul's life, and it will, or is, his reward. And as much as this is true for us, we will experience this joy now in this life, and eternally this reward. 

"You are my joy and my crown." People, their salvation, their sanctification, their good, and in this vein, we can more fully understand Paul's call to unity, and seeking the good of others above our own, being a servant to God and men, all the things that Paul has been teaching us in this epistle. 

And so we are to stand fast in the Lord, just like he told us in 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Stand fast in the Lord, beloved." 

1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us: "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong, let all that you do be done with love." 

Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." 

Turn over to Ephesians 6 with me. This is a great passage, the passage about the armor of God. Ephesians 6:10. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." 

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand, stand therefore." 

Seems like he's trying to get a message across to us here. The word stand means literally to be stationary, figuratively to stand firm, to not be moved. I shall not be moved. 

In Romans 5:1, Paul says we stand in grace; we don't move in and out of it. So we see from these passages that we stand in grace, we stand in liberty, we stand in the faith, we are to stand in the Lord, in His strength, and the power of His might. 

In Philippians, Paul has emphasized unity all the way back to verse 27 of chapter 1. He says there, "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel." 

Stand fast in the Lord, depend on, trust in, seek the Lord, fix your heart and mind on Jesus and His example, His purpose, His provision, and His person. 

And in verses 2-3 of our text, Paul makes a practical application to a couple of ladies in the fellowship in Philippi. He says, "I implore Yodi and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord, and I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." 

Sometimes believers in the body lose their focus. They begin to set their mind on earthly things. That's why I tell you this passage is so convicting. One thing I do. 

What's the one thing you do? What does your life show? Where do you spend your time, your effort, your energy? Where's your thinking when you're not thinking about anything else? If we set our mind on earthly things, on ourselves, on the desires that we have, on our preferences above others, we can begin to cause division and distraction. 

Paul looks to a brother or sister in the church, I believe my companion may be a proper name here, he looks to someone else in the church to go to these women and help them resolve their differences, to help them get their eyes back on Jesus and bring their focus back to the prize in unity, in one mind, in one spirit. 

So I ask, how can we do this? How can we continually be doing this? And Paul gives us the answer in the following verses. This is the way that we can experience unity, that we in the body can have the same mind, that we can be in fellowship in the church and our goal and what we're working toward. 

Verse 4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." 

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice." We can always rejoice in the Lord. We can always be thankful for the salvation that we have in Christ, the promises that are ours in Him. 

In Hebrews 13:5 it says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" 

He says, "Be content with such things as you have." Let me ask you, what do you have, my brother, my sister in Christ? What is it that you have? Do you have your health? For how long? Do you have wealth? Be careful where you invest it. Do you have a nice home and live in a beautiful place? 

So those people in California last week, what do we really have that we can count on, that we can be confident of, can be assured of? Be content with such things as you have, for He Himself has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." You have Christ. He will never leave you or forsake you. 

His grace is sufficient for you for today and every day, until He comes to take you to be with Him forever. He said, "If it were not so, I would have told you. Don't let your heart be troubled." 

Everyone's hearts are troubled today, and we have so much more than we've ever had, so much that we don't know what to do with ourselves. You have all the promises in Christ, and they cannot be taken away. Be content with Christ. Rejoice in the Lord. 

Philippians 4.8: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things." 

"The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." 

In verse 11 of chapter 4, he says, "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere, and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

If we're going to have unity in the church, if we're going to have one mind, one spirit, one purpose, then we have to continually learn to be content with Christ, to set our minds on eternal things and press toward the goal of Christ's likeness and finally glorification, the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

"I can do all things." What things? Eternal things, things of value and in the will and plan of God for me. I can be content in Christ. I can serve Him and others. I can have this mind through Christ who strengthens me. 

This is the way we can have unity, the way we can stand fast in the Lord. But we are learning, my friends. Paul said, "I learned," learning to let go of the things of this world, the pursuit of self, and learning to esteem others above ourselves, to set our mind on eternal things, to look to Jesus, to abide in Him. 

We are learning to be content in Christ. Our culture is a culture of comfort, not of accomplishment. And I fear that this may have crept into the church as well. 

In our world today, people seek amusement and are pleased to waste the days away looking at a computer or a phone, scrolling through reels until late at night, searching social media, becoming consumed with the cares of this world until they can't take it any longer and get up and go to bed. 

Amusement, the opposite of muse. To muse is to think, to roll over in the mind, to be curious, to seek to find an answer, to gain knowledge. Amuse is to not think. Listen to Paul's words in verse 8 again. "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, what? Think on these things." 

God wants us to think, to meditate, to chew our cud, as it were. I watch my Jersey cows out there, and they're zoned out after they've eaten, chewing their cud. They're rolling it over, they're bringing it up, they're chewing their cud, they're meditating, thinking. 

We are to fill our minds with the truth, with the Word of God, that which is good and noble and just and pure and lovely, and then to think on these things. My brothers and sisters, this is how we keep our minds straight, our affections in the right place, our unity in the Spirit, in purpose and in passion. 

We are citizens of heaven, from which we eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus, who will bring to consummation that which we now pursue and press toward and eagerly and anxiously wait for. We have tremendous promises in Christ. 

We need to be thinking on these things and doing His work as we live in this world and wait for His coming. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we thank you for your Word that you just continue to teach us, to bring us along, to help us to learn, to trust you, to believe you, to know how great you are and what you have for us. Help us to understand, Lord, what really matters. Help us to press toward the mark, to continually be striving toward the goal of Christlikeness, to be witnesses, to set our mind on eternal things and not the things of the earth that fade away. 

And help us to be longing, waiting, eagerly anticipating your coming and living in light of it. In Jesus' name, amen.