Sermon(Phil 3:17-21): Be imitators of Apostle Paul

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025255776

 

>> 17 Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Phil 3:17-21) <<

 

The Pope organized the crusade to recover the holy land, but failed, suffering all disgrace. J. H. Kim, a pastor of Presbyterian Church, established a political group named New Right and is supporting a presidential candidate in the name of political reform. However the outcome can't be good! You, a false pastor! Why are you taking part in the election campaign as a pastor, so that a lot of people rebuke you, and as a result, Jesus Christ is humiliated because of you? Can you behave yourself so, if you think of the glory of God, and of the church and the sheep of Jesus? The Presbyterian Church and the members of the church where J. H. Kim is ministering should immediately dismiss this rotten pseudo-pastor. All Christians in Korea must not imitate J. H. Kim, who does not make himself a good model. In addition, neither the presidential candidate of the ruling party nor that of the opposition party should not entice foolish Christian priests into the election campaign. Fiery judgment be upon those who bring the pastors into politics to make use of them!

 

It is better for us to pay more attention to the biblical words of truth rather than to talk about J. H. Kim, a pseudo pastor full of dirty greed that caused him to defile the glory of God and to hurt the church. Today's biblical text is Paul's exhortation to the saints of the church at Philippi, which he wrote with tears. The point is this, "My brethren, do not be the enemies of the cross but be imitators of me." The greed for wealth, honor and sex does not take it into account that you are Christians. It will never weaken itself before you. A lot of Christians gratify their evil desire where no one watches them. A lot of Christians gratify such desire in wicked ways and say that they are blessed by God. It is not the token of God's love on you that you have satisfied your carnal desires. You may have accomplished something great in the world, but it can't be the clear evidence that you've received God's blessings. You're a foolish Christian if you, only gratifying your desires, say that you're enjoying God's blessing.

 

Look at the verse 19. We can see there who is he that lives as the enemy of the cross of Christ. His god is his belly. The belly incessantly cries, "Give me food, give me food!" The enemy of the cross obeys the belly even if it is illegal. If it commands him, he will transgress the law of God. He does not even refrain from theft, fraud and robbery. The captive to the greed is the very enemy of the cross. After Jesus' 40 days' fast, the Devil, knowing how hungry he was, came to him to seduce him to make a stone into a loaf of bread. However Jesus beat him, saying, "Man does not live by bread alone, but lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the God. (Deut 8:3)" My brethren, give ear not to the voice of the Devil but to the voice and word of God even when you've been without food for 40 days. Just bear the hunger if you have nothing to eat! Better it is if you die of hunger and go to heaven rather than you steal others’ money and go to hell. Think of Lazarus, a beggar. He went to heaven when he died. He couldn't have gone there had he lived as a beggar, stealing and robbing. He lived here, to his shame, as a beggar without sufficient food, became weak and sick, and died, nevertheless, he went to heaven. His friends succeeded in making a living by all kinds of corruptive means or by conformism. But Lazarus didn't assimilate to such iniquity and injustice; but kept and obeyed the word of God, and didn't commit sins to the end. He died, because he, a beggar, grew weak thanks to lack of food. He became a beggar; because he was left behind in the harsh competition with those who would occupy all jobs and all money by all evil means, so that he had no job. He had no job then because he would live honestly according to the word of God. There are many people in the world who offer bribe for a job, or sell their bodies for money. They are all living a dishonest life, with their bellies full. Lazarus would rather starve to death than live so! We can't see his good works in the Bible. He might not have done a few good works, but he went to heaven because he didn't commit sins while he was so hungry as to almost die. If you have made a lot of money illegally and unjustly, and done something good with the money that was left after you spent your living expenses ... ? Of course you will go to hell. "The kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17)" "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! .... The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom 7:24 - 8:2)" "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Rom 8:6)" He who subjects all his desires to the will of God is a man who is living in being mindful of the cross.

 

The enemy of the cross does not know shame. Some time ago, a homosexual man boasted in front of many college students that he had had homosex with about 300 men. He was very proud of his homosex life, but it was, in fact, a shame to his parents, brothers and sisters. He didn't know what is honor and what is dishonor. The enemy of the cross does what the Devil likes him to do, yet regards it not as shame but as honor; because he has a demented heart. If a pastor has such a heart, he can't discern times, and takes part in the politics, thinking himself to be a practicing prophet. Not only Christians but also secular people say that pastors should not participate in the political activities, nevertheless, some pastors ignore their advice. (To advise them is to read the Scripture to the ears of cows.) They do not feel ashamed at all even when they hear bad words from others, because their hearts are seared by a fire seal as the homosexuals' hearts are, so that they get confused. As impudent prostitutes boldly assert that they are legitimate workers of sex-industry, so some stupid pastors call themselves prophets when they live as destroyers of Jesus' glory. Even though they were once faithful and holy servants of God, they continually disobeyed God after that, so the Holy Spirit left them. Now they have become common human beings, and do shameful things, carrying the title of pastor. The foolish pastors may not have realized that their stupid deeds and others' reproach are a kind of the punishment of God. You, a pastor, have abandoned God like Saul king of Israel, and God also has deserted you, so you're now publicly disgraced throughout the country. But isn't it somewhat fortunate for you to hear the rebuke after your mother's death? To be humiliated in pursuit of one's glory is not a life that befits the cross. A man of the ethos of the cross always strives unselfishly for the glory of God and the glory of the church, and thanks God when he is made humble for all the other Christians' honor. You, an unspiritual pastor! Do you know why the Christians in Korea do not want the pastors to get into politics? It's simple! You must know that you've already got enough if you've got high honor and esteem with the title of pastor. Your political thoughts may be great and excellent, but the lay believers have little interest in them. You are thrown into confusion, so you do not notice that at least 50% of the laity have as good political thoughts as you have. The laymen are saying that it's too much honor to you, for you to be just a pastor; so don't be so presumptuous as to get into the political world. You are so confused that you can't grasp the thoughts of those lay Christians, but take a wrong way. You, a pastor with a dim head! Even if the president-elect offers you the position of Prime Minister, you should say, "No, thank you! I'm already much honored as a pastor. How can I preach to the saints that the poor are blessed if I seek for such a position?" You don't know that the lay people will be pleased in you and respect you deeply if you say so. A stupid pastor, don't you know that, because of you, the Korean people estimate the Buddhist priests over the Christian priests? Which is normal, for the lay people to worry about the pastors, or for the pastors to worry about the lay people? Cut out the cancer of greed from you with the sword of the Holy Spirit right away!

 

The enemy of the cross thinks of the things of the world, not of the things of the heaven. The enemy of the cross works only for himself and his household. The enemy of the cross does not think of the eternal kingdom of heaven, but intends to live in great wealth, high position and great glory here on earth where the Devil rules. But we are the citizens of heaven (v. 20). At the longest, we can live here 90 years. From this, subtract 25 years, a growth period, and 20 years, a period when you are too old to work. Then you have about 40 years to work as an adult. You must invest much part of this precious time for the everlasting life in heaven. How vain it would be if you invest all that transient time for this worldly life only? Can you go to heaven if you have done nothing at all for God during that time? How sorrowful it will be if you have enjoyed destroying the kingdom of God during that time! During that time, how many people are practicing many things to enter the hell? A man of heavenly citizenship never obstructs others’ preaching of the gospel. A man of heavenly citizenship never does anything that leads to the ruin of the glory of Jesus, who is the eternal absolute King. The enemy of the cross acts contrary to the kingdom of God and to the eternal King Jesus, for some gain. He who lives with regard for the cross walks with Jesus, nails his passion for the world to the cross and sacrifices the present for the everlasting heaven.

 

Apostle Paul tells the saints in Philippi not to live as an enemy of the cross but to imitate him. You pastors, can you say boldly, "Follow me!"? Paul worshipped God in spirit, and gloried in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:3). He, for sure, was a true Israelite, a man of Benjamin tribe, a real Hebrew, a Pharisee as to the law, and a persecutor of the church as to zeal, and a blameless man as to righteousness under the law (Phil 3:5-6). But he says, "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ (Phil 3:7-8). .... Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own (Phil 3:12). Brethren, I do not consider that I have 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 (Phil 3: 13-14)."

 

Paul gave up as refuse everything he could boast about in the world in order to gain Jesus. And he decided to forget all the achievements he had made, after he had met Jesus and become an apostle. He says that what counts to him is to devote himself to what God entrusts him today and tomorrow. He did his best to preach the gospel, aiming at the complete establishment of the kingdom of God, with the expectation of prize from God and without deviating from the purpose.

 

Reverend J. H. Kim, you've been blinded by greed and become delirious. So you must repent your sins with tears and be cleansed, and recover your original heart and purpose in order to become a devout servant of God. The longer you are rebuked for spoiling God's glory by your stupid deeds, the more confidently we cannot but think that there are a lot of unknown sins you've committed. Come to your senses now. A rotten pastor is dirtier than a prostitute. Stupid pastor, be ashamed! Will you leave a big stigma in the history of Korean Christianity? If you have time to do such political activities, stop it; rather spend that time meditating on the words of God, praying deeply to God, and making a little more effort for your sermons on CTS.

 

Lord, deliver the lay believers from the false pastors, the hired shepherds who are slaves to greed, not good religious models to the saints.

 

Chong Tack Kim

                                     - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -