Home is where they can’t kick you out.

Steve Brown:
Home is where they can’t kick you out. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
That was Steve Brown. He doesn’t want to be your guru, and he’s not trying to be your mother. He just opens the Bible and gives you the simple truth that will make you free. Steve’s a lifelong broadcaster, author, seminary professor, and our teacher on Key Life.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. We’re looking at the last verses of the third chapter of Philippians and the first verse of the fourth chapter of Philippians, and it’s part of our study in the Book of Philippians. We have seen, that Paul refers to those who have left. And we have a tendency to believe that what he’s talking about is stopping sin.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and mark those who live as you have an example in us. For many of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

And then he talks about their end being destruction. And then, well, I’ll tell you in a minute what he says, cause it gets a lot better as you go along. But there he talks about not somebody who doesn’t sin, he’s talking about somebody who doesn’t leave. And the reason I know he’s talking about people who don’t leave or who leave instead of the people who are pure all the time and nice all the time and obedient all the time because nobody is. Then he says, and this is very good.

But our commonwealth

what does that mean?

Our home is in heaven. And from it, we await a Savior.

What do you need a Savior for?

Because of your sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body.

I’m going to have hair.

By the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.

And this is where it comes.

Therefore, my brothers, which I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Notice that the apostle Paul, and this references the fact that he didn’t leave. It’s his feeling of home in heaven, but a smell of home on earth. It’s called the church. Do you want to do something about our culture? Are the politics driving you nuts? Are the lies keeping you awake at night? You know what you ought to do? If you’re not join a church and support it. Find a church where the Scriptures are taught and Jesus is exalted and people do their best to love each other and join it. I’ve started saying sometimes in churches where I preach. Listen, if you’re visiting today, we’re so glad you’re here, but take some advice from the old guy leave before you get hurt. And then I say, but if you don’t, if you can deal with a bunch of sinners, you will find a home here that is better than your other home. A place of love, and kindness, and forgiveness, and fellowship. That’s what Paul is talking about here. He’s talking about don’t leave. Don’t leave home. Because home is where Jesus is, and you call that the church. I love the church, and it’s not because it’s such a wonderful place. I get people who tell me awful stories of bad stuff that they have experienced in the church. And if you’ve looked around, you’ve read those books, that are written by people who have left the church because of what was done unto them. I want to say to all of them, you don’t know anything. I’ve experienced more than you could possibly imagine. But the church is his bride. I have a friend who was complaining to Jesus about the church and all the sins of the church and the people that were getting hurt in the church. And then he said, Jesus said to him, Be careful, son, that’s my woman. We’re the bride of Christ. And as I’ve gotten older, the more I’ve loved the church in all of its stripes and all of its forms. I’ve loved the music, whether it was contemporary, or a chant by monks, or traditional hymns. I love the way people are different in the church. They like different things, they go different places, and they know different things. And that used to bother me, but now it draws me. Because it’s a part of the universal body of Christ, the church of Christ. And it’s important for Christians, and that’s the message, that the apostle Paul is giving here. Don’t leave, don’t leave your people, don’t leave your family, don’t leave the church. Because that’s home and that is your place. And then one other word and we’ll move on to the next text. He starts and it goes with the third chapter, in the original letter there weren’t any chapter and numbers names. And so, I feel free to add this verse to this particular text. Paul says.

Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Is that cool? Or what? Paul gets it. Paul had been hurt by the church. He had had people attack him in the church. He had been criticized in the church. They in the church ran him out of a city one time. Paul knew all of that. And he said.

My beloved, my joy, my crown.

So, no matter how bad it gets, it’s your family. Go there and be a part of it. Okay, let’s move on to the next text. It’s just two verses and it’s in the fourth chapter of Philippians. And the rest of this week and into next week, we’re going to talk about how to win arguments. And you’re saying, good, you wouldn’t believe the turkeys I debate. I want to know how to win arguments. No, it’s not that kind of argument. It’s the arguments that we have in the church between brothers and sisters in Christ. And there are only two verses in this text, and we’re going to spend a good time talking about it. Starting at the second verse and going through the third verse, where Paul writes.

I entreat Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord. And I ask you also, true yoke fellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

I often have people say to me, I wish we could go back to the early church. I wish we could go back to the Book of Acts. I wish we could go back to the church where everybody joined hands and changed the world for Christ. You don’t want to go back to the early church, because they’re as bad as the present church. As a matter of fact, there were all kinds of divisions, and as we went through the Book of Acts, I pointed them out to you. The church is a place where there is division. It is sometimes messy. It’s what Chuck Swindoll said.

A bunch of porcupines trying to hug each other in the middle of a storm.

And if that’s true, because we’re human beings, then we’ve got to figure out a way how to deal with that sort of thing. And that’s what we’re going to do, that’s what we’re going to do tomorrow and next week. With these two verses, we’re going to see how to win arguments, not for yourself, but for Jesus. How to love the unlovely. How to reach out and to walk with those with whom you disagree. I told you earlier about Tony Campolo’s death and how much I miss him and my conversation with him shortly before he died. Let me tell you something about Tony and about me. We did a television show for a year where he was the liberal and I was the conservative, and we disagreed about everything. And do you know why we took the time to do that television show? Because we wanted to demonstrate how two guys who disagree about everything except Jesus still love each other. And the comment I got more than any other around the country was, Hey, you guys really do love each other. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Join a church and support it. Thank you Steve for that reminder from Philippians. And as Steve just mentioned, we are pressing on to focus on chapter 4 verses 2 and 3. More on that text tomorrow. Hope you’ll join us for that. Well, things are changing dramatically in our world, socially, economically, especially politically. Often it all adds up to being scared about the future, but the future isn’t frightening if you know the future. That’s what Max Lucado says in his new book about the end times. We interviewed Max on Steve Brown Etc. and it was such an encouraging and reassuring conversation. We put that entire episode on a CD that we can mail to you for free. Just call us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail Steve@keylife.org to order that CD. Or go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Again, just ask for the free CD featuring Max Lucado. And finally, if you’re blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Giving is easy. Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can give through text. Just text Key Life to 28950, then follow the instructions. And I know you know this, but I’m going to say it anyway. If you can’t give right now, all good, seriously. But while you’re thinking about it, would you say a prayer for us? Always needed, always appreciated. Thanks. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.