Citizens of Heaven
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Good morning! Surprise! You’re stuck with me preaching too :)
Anyways, I am always excited to get to speak in this body, so thank you for giving me the opportunity to share what God has given me.
I am going to invite us to turn to Philippians 3
Before we jump in though, I just wanted to share a few announcements:
June 11th and 12th we have our Kid’s Worship Camp. The purpose of this is to give an immersion into what it means to worship. We’re also going to have fun exploring different instruments and how to implement them into a worship time. We are hoping to have 50 kids sign up. Its for kids 2nd through 5th grade. If you know anyone that might be interested, please talk to them and invite them to register. There is no cost at all.
In addition, next week we will have a potluck after the service. Please stay and enjoy some good food and fellowship with one another. We invite you to bring a dish to share.
Go ahead and check your announcements to check for any other news you may need regarding upcoming events or times
I believe that is it for the announcements this morning
Let’s jump in. Philippians 3 starting in verse 12.
12 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. 13 Brothers, 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. 17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Will you join me in prayer before we dive in?
PRAY
How many of us have done a scavenger hunt or like to do scavenger hunts? I absolutely love them, which is probably why recently we’ve also fallen in love with escape rooms. Anyways, for my birthday this past year, Katlyn gave me a scavenger hunt. Every hour she would give me a clue on where to find a small bag. In each bag would be a piece of candy, a sweet handwritten note, and sometimes a lottery ticket. So, throughout the day, I would get a text on each hour with a clue for where to find the next present. Some of them were fairly easy to find like under a pillow, or in the fridge, but others were a lot more difficult. I remember there were a couple that I just could not find. Katlyn was working in the school so she wasn’t able to help me until she got home. Once she was done at work, I showed her all the ones I had found, and let her know I needed some help with others. She gave me subtle hints, but it was hard for her to give me any more clues because, come to find out, they were right in front of me the whole time. How many of us have done this? It goes beyond scavenger hunts or puzzles too. I know this happens to me every time I’m supposed to find supplies or ingredients in the cabinet and I’m looking really hard but can’t find it. Then my wife will go in there and immediately pull it out.
This might just be a guy problem, but I know at some point or another most of us have all done this.
It goes beyond just supplies, clues, or ingredients too. We tend to miss what God has for us. We often miss what He places right in front of our eyes. We tend to miss that the Kingdom of God is right in front of us.
This is what I want to address today. Paul states that we are citizens of heaven and I want to propose that :
God wants citizens who are living in the Kingdom here and now
Basically, if we truly understood that the Kingdom of God was already here, how would that affect the way we live? Paul’s desire in this passage is that as citizens of heaven there would be a specific manner in which we conduct our lives. Because, as we will take a look at, the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven is already at hand. It is already present.
Turn really quickly back to Philippians 1:27 with me.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
The greek translation of this is literally “Only behave as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
So, this morning, I want to talk about what it means to be a Citizen of Heaven and how that has an impact on our everyday lives.
In this passage in Philippians 3, Paul is presenting a major contrast between the people that we just talked about last week, those who “walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” and between those who have citizenship in Heaven.
We are Citizens of Heaven
We are Citizens of Heaven
We are Citizens of Heaven.
This is significant. Paul essentially is pointing out part of the core of our identity. Think about it....a citizen of any country adopts the culture, commands, and commitment to that authority, (at least that is the expectation placed on them).
As citizens of heaven, we should be following the same pattern.
We should be adopting the culture, commands, and commitment to the authority of that Kingdom, which is Jesus Christ.
As Citizens of Heaven, I want to point out a few characteristics as we dive further into this.
The first is that we are Citizens of Heaven in Christ alone
In Christ
In Christ
For those of us who are in Christ Jesus, we have citizenship to a Kingdom that the enemies of the cross of Christ do not have.
We are not automatically made citizens of heaven when we are born. We should all know the story…God created the heavens and the earth, we were created from dust, God breathed life into man and creation was good and man was very good. Genesis 3 happens and sin entered the world because of Man’s disobedience. Now, Romans 5:12 states that as “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. We know that sin separates us from God.
Therefore, we know that we are not automatically given citizenship into heaven.
Thankfully, we know the story doesn’t stop there.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
It is through grace we are saved, through grace we are able to enter into the presence of God. Through grace we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God. Through grace we have been made citizens of heaven.
I know this is not new news to any of us, but I wanted to remind us of the significance of being a citizen of Heaven. We are Citizens of Heaven not because of anything we have done, we are citizens of Heaven through Christ and through Christ alone.
With Rights and Responsibilities
With Rights and Responsibilities
The next point I have for us regarding being a citizen of Heaven is that there we have both rights and responsibilities associated with our citizenship.
Let’s look really quickly at the exact definition of a citizen
According to Merriam Webster, a citizen is
1: an inhabitant of a city or town
especially : one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman
b: a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it
I believe this definition fits very well with how our citizenship also works in heaven.
First of all, we are inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven.
We also have rights and privileges and we owe our allegiance to Christ
Let’s talk about what it means to have rights and privileges in the Kingdom of heaven
Rights
Rights
What kind of rights do we have?
First of all, I want to be cautious using this work “right”. Please don’t get it confused with entitlement. We are not entitled to any of these, but because of the grace of God, we have access to these privileges.
The first is access to the Father.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Through Jesus we get access to the Father
As we will take a look at in just a second, continual access to the presence of God is a huge privilege that is far too often taken for granted
The next privilege we have is abundant life.
Jesus says that
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
This is possible because Christ now lives in us
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Just like a good country would want their citizens to have a great life, so Jesus desires that we would have an abundant life. Now granted, the idea of what an abundant life is completely different in both scenarios. However, as a citizen, as a child of God, He desires that would would get to fully experience everything He has for us. This includes eternal life after we pass away
We are also co-heirs with Christ
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
As children of God, we are heirs with Christ.
But, what are we inheriting? Hebrews 1:2 reveals that Christ will be the heir of all things. So, we too will get to share in that inheritance. He shares his glory (John 17:22), his riches (2 Corinthians 6:9), and ultimately all things as I just mentioned from Hebrews 1:2
Another right or privilege we have is offering personal sacrifices to God
I don’t think many of us think of this as a privilege, but this is something that would have been a huge privilege for the Early Church
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We have been declared a royal priesthood. To the Early church this would carry a significant amount of weight. For the Israelites, only Levites were allowed to be priests. Anyone one else would be judged by God for trying to be a priest. We see this with King Uzziah who tried to offer incense and God ended up giving him a skin disease for the rest of his life.
Thankfully, as Christians, we have now been chosen as priests just as God chose the priests in the Old Testament.
We too have been purified by the blood like the priests, but we have been purified with the blood of Christ
We are called to pray for the whole church just as the priests would pray for the nation of Israel
We too are anointed
We also have access to the presence of God. Although, rather than just entering God’s presence once a year like the high priest, we have continual access.
We are also called to give spiritual sacrifices that include worship, prayer, fasting, serving others, tithing, and so on
Being able to give personal sacrifices to God is a huge privilege that we have today that I hope we do not take for granted.
One more privilege I want to point out today is that just like in the definition of what it means to be a citizen, we have protection that comes from Christ.
We have the ability to hold onto the promise of the Lord that He will never leave or forsake us. As a Father protects his children, so will God protect us.
Jesus’ own prayer to the Father asked that He would protect us from the evil one (John 17:15)
As a citizen of heaven, we have the right to the Lord of Hosts watching over us. He will be there with us in the fire, He will make a way where there is no way. Amen?
There are many blessings, rights, privileges that come with being a citizen in the Kingdom of God.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
However, just like living in the U.S. or any other country, there are also expectations or responsibilities that we need to follow.
Just like we have the laws that we need to obey, we also need to follow the laws that God has set in place.
However, I am not simply talking about the ten commandments.
We are under the new covenant and so all the laws put in place for the Israelites in the Old Testament do not necessarily apply to us today.
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus says that first you need to love me. This makes sense. I mean, as our King, our Savior, He desires that our very being would love Him. This is the greatest commandment that we are to follow as a citizen of heaven.
The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.
And then from these two the Law, which is the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, and the Prophets, which essentially refers to the rest of the Old Testament, are fulfilled.
The way that God desires for us to live in the Kingdom is laid out in these two commandments. Because Jesus has fulfilled the Old Testament, the old way of using sacrifices to find salvation and receive forgiveness is no longer in place.
So then, our responsibilities are to love God with all we are and to radiate that love to how we love our neighbors.
These rights or privileges that we just talked about reveal so much about the heart of the Father for His children. Even more, these responsibilities or commands that we are to follow in His kingdom are there with the purpose of being able to have the kind of relationship that God desires to have with us.
And out of that intimate relationship with the Father, the second commandment is for us to radiate that love with the World that they too may be able to encounter the presence of Jesus in the same way.
These are the responsibilities we have as citizens of Heaven. We need to love the Lord with everything.
Remember part of the definition of being a citizen is owing allegiance to a government. In this case it is Jesus and by loving the Lord with everything, we are also giving Him complete allegiance.
Additionally, we have the responsibility of sharing the love of Christ. Basically, our role is to be a big billboard of heaven to the rest of the world.
That brings me to the next point I want to address about the nature of our citizenship
In But Not of the World
In But Not of the World
We are citizens of Heaven who are living in the world, but called to not be of the world.
In order to be a billboard for heaven, in order to be a reflection of heaven here on earth so that others would know the glory of God, there needs to be outward evidence of our citizenship.
There needs to be a noticeable difference between us and the rest of the world
The reason for this is because our citizenship is ultimately in heaven, not in this world.
We need to begin looking in the mirror to determine whether or not there is outward, physical evidence that we are citizens of heaven. If we aren’t able to see it, then how can we expect others to know?
So, while we are waiting for Jesus to take us up into the clouds with Him, we need to work on living as a citizen worthy of the Gospel of Christ as Paul put it in Philippians 1:27
I want to present us with two frameworks for how we can evaluate whether or not we are visibly showing others our citizenship.
Fruit of the Spirit
Fruit of the Spirit
The first is by using the Fruits of the Spirit
What are the fruits of the Spirit?
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
Are we able to identify these among ourselves. If you want to challenge yourself, ask someone who knows you well and loves you. Ask them which of these they see the most and which they would encourage you to grow in.
Most of these are traits that others will be able to immediately notice. Can you think of someone you know that demonstrates some of these really well?
When we come across someone like that, you can tell immediately that something is different with them.
Take my wife for example, she radiates with unmeasurable joy. I know most if not all would agree that she radiates with joy and it’s contagious.
I know believers and non believers alike agree.
Yet, the crazy evidence that this comes from God and not her own strength is that even when she is in a hard place, anyone she touches still sees that joy.
How many of us could say that we have at least one of these fruits that people notice right away?
We need to take a look in the mirror, and spend some time in prayer asking God where we need to grow in these to be able to be a more effective marketer of heaven.
Does the world hate you?
Does the world hate you?
Another framework we can use to evaluate ourselves is a little more difficult than the last one. Maybe not, I think so though because I want people to like me.
But, another framework we can use is whether or not the world hates us
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
That word hates in greek also translates to detest (especially to persecute)
So, are we being persecuted?
Do people hate you?
Do people detest you because you love God?
Now, hear me out. We are not looking to stir up trouble. If we are living in the fruit of the Spirit, then we should have peace wherever we go.
But the reality is that as Christians, people will hate us because of Jesus.
Turn with me to John 15 starting with verse 20
20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
So, if people aren’t giving us pushback because of our relationship with God, then do they know we are Christians?
And if they don’t know that we are Christians, then what do we need to do so that they will know?
Skip down a few verses in that passage to verse 26
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
How are we witnessing Jesus to those around us?
Are we spreading joy wherever we go? Or are we sharing our testimony with everyone we meet?
This brings us to our first question for this morning:
In what ways do I need to grow so that there is outward evidence of my citizenship?
Where is God revealing that I need to begin witnessing better? Is it in evangelism? Is it in a certain fruit of the Spirit?
It is essential that as believers we are learning to grow in these because as we share more and more of Christ, we are sharing more of heaven.
Transition:
And we want people to recognize that Heaven is already here.
God wants citizens who are living in the Kingdom here and now.
We are citizens who are in Christ and citizens by Christ
We are citizens who have privileges and responsibilities we need to follow
And we are citizens who should be standing out from the world
The hope is that as believers, we would want every person to experience this relationship we have with Christ, and experience the beauty of His Kingdom
And His Kingdom is beautiful. Part of that beauty is that we get to experience while we are here on earth today, but we have hope in getting to fully experience it when Jesus returns
I want to present a theological concept known as “Now and Not Yet”
Now and Not Yet
Now and Not Yet
The whole premise behind it is that the Kingdom is here, but there is more to come
The Kingdom is Already Here
The Kingdom is Already Here
Let’s talk about the Kingdom already being here!
I don’t know about you, but I love to take long road trips. I love traveling to new places. The issue though is that it can take a long time to get from point A to point B. As a family, we went on several long trips around the country. And as much as I love traveling, it can be exhausting. There were times when we would travel for the entire day to reach our new destination. As a kid, it was nice because I didn’t have the responsibility of driving. I got to listen to music, play games, and anything else we could think of to pass the time. My favorite thing was just taking naps though. I would set my pillow up on the side of the car door, put on a hat to block the sun, and put earbuds in to drown out some of the noise. It wasn’t always the most comfortable, but it was nice to get some sleep. The best naps though, were the ones where I would fall asleep at the start of the trip and not wake up until we reached the destination. It was like time travel! One second we were in California, and the next we were in Florida. It was great! Ok, maybe not that big of a trip, but sometimes it felt like that. Anyways, I loved whenever those kinds of naps and trips would happen. Sometimes it was hard to tell that we had traveled at all though because the scenery looked the same. This happened especially as we drove through the Mid West. I was always so joyful whenever I found out we had already arrived though.
This is kind of like our trip to the Kingdom of Heaven. One second, we are asleep, dead in our sin, the next we wake up and are already there!
Sometimes it is easy to miss because the scenery is the same, but so much has changed!
I know that was a silly story, but we too should be experiencing joy because the Kingdom of God is already here. We are currently living in it!
The Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come and Jesus’ response was:
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
It is in the midst of you, in the person of Jesus and in the reign of God manifested in those who are already following Jesus. Some understand Jesus to say here that the kingdom is “within you”
We know that the Kingdom of God on earth is not a physical place, but rather a spiritual one. It is in the presence of God. And since we have Christ living inside us, the Kingdom of God is within us
What does this mean for us though?
It means that we are able to have peace
We have love, joy, grace
There is unity
There is hope in the here and now
God’s glory is continuing to be revealed
We have the presence of Jesus
We have the Holy Spirit
And because we have the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to be molded more into the image of God through sanctification
We still have miracles in the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus said
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Because we have the presence of God with us, miracles are still taking place
This is what we have for us in the Kingdom of God!
How great is that?
And this is what God desires for us to be living in on a daily basis.
19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
The enemies of the cross of Christ end with destruction
As citizens we end with Victory!
The enemies of the cross of Christ worship their earthly pleasures
We worship the Creator who sustains, restores, and breathes life into all things. He is our pleasure!
The enemies of the cross of Christ glory in their shame
We glory in the grace of God who has given us freedom!
The enemies of the cross of Christ set their mind on earthly things
They are ashamed, anxious, afraid
We set our minds on Christ and have hope, freedom, peace
This is what we have in the Kingdom of God here and now!
We are citizens and have so much more in store for us here and now compared to the Judaizers
Before we continue, I want to take a second to talk about expectation
Our expectation often reflects our heart and desires that we have
Are we expecting God to do these things for us?
Are we ready for Him to do miracles? Are we expecting them to happen?
Are we expecting to encounter the presence of God daily?
Or has our time in scripture and going to church and reading the Bible become our mindless routine that we simply need to do to feel as if we are being “spiritual?”
This is why I love the song we sang earlier called Holy Ground
Let our hearts be holy ground
It is the invitation for God to move
It is the expectation and posture ready for Him to move
So, as we talk about the Kingdom of heaven, what is our expectation level?
Are we just ok if we happen to bump into God today, or are we expecting and giving God the space to encounter us in real, tangible ways?
No matter our expectation level though, God will still move as He desires
Our expectation tends to affect whether or not we see it though
So, along with expectation we need to have anticipation
We need to be awaiting the moment that God wants to move in or around us
And this anticipation that we need to have moves us perfectly into the next point that
There is more to come!
There is more to come
There is more to come
Heaven on Earth is just the beginning.
Desert is on its way :)
The sweetest part is yet to come
When Paul states that our citizenship is in heaven, he also reminds us that we are waiting for our savior
Jesus’ Return
Jesus’ Return
This is the “Not Yet”
Now and Not Yet
We know that Christ is returning.
And when He comes it will be much different from last time
He will return on a white horse, eyes like blazing fire, with many crowns on His head, and a robe dipped in blood
He will come with great power and glory
Satan will be forever cast into the lake of fire where he will be tormented forever
Then the new heaven and new earth will be established.
This is where believers will spend eternity.
And I could go on and on about what we know about the details of what everything will look like according to Scripture, but I’ll leave that for Christina another time :)
What we need to know is that
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
This is what is to come
There is definitely a lot to look forward to!
Right?
I mean, no death!
No pain, mourning!
New Bodies
New Bodies
In addition to awaiting Christ’s return, Paul also shares that the Savior we are waiting for will transform our bodies
Paul also reveals that this is possible through the power that enables Christ to “subject all things to himself”
Our bodies will be spiritually and physically perfect
We know that our new bodies will not be susceptible to death or sickness
Paul shares in 1 Corinthians that there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies.
He says that the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another
Additionally, he reveals that “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust” (referring to Adam), “we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.”
So, our bodies will resemble the image of the man of heaven, referring to Jesus
And, if that is the case, then our new bodies may have the same scars that we recieved on earth
When Jesus visited the disciples after His resurrection, Jesus’ scars were still present. Thomas even put his fingers in Jesus’ side and the scars in His hands
So, isn’t that a cool thought that our scars could be carried over with us to Heaven?
The things that cause us pain God can redeem
And the scars that we carry are a great reminder of that
Another characteristic of ourselves in heaven is that we will be “wholly sanctified” as the Alliance calls it
The journey that God has been taking us on our whole life will be completed
This is the hope that we have
And as we are witnessing to others, we can share this same hope!
But as we are witnessing to others, we need to be cautious where the emphasis is placed when sharing about our hope
Transition:
Because the reality is that because Jesus has not returned, there is still pain, still death, still sickness, still tears
This is a result of the Fall; a result of sin
However, this does not negate the fact that the Kingdom of God is here
Rather, this reveals the tension between two kingdoms
Tension Between Two Kingdoms
Tension Between Two Kingdoms
How do we deal with this tension between the Kingdom of heaven being present and the kingdom of the world still fighting for control
We know that the war is already won, but the battles are still being raged
The enemy does not want to submit
And because of that, we have all these bad things that go on
But how could this happen if the Kingdom of God is at hand?
How do we deal with this tension?
Do we remember the story of the man born blind in John 9?
Jesus passed this man who was blind from birth and the disciples asked whether that man had sinned or his parents who did. They were trying to get to the cause of why this happened to him. What did Jesus reveal was the cause of the man’s blindness?
It was that the works of God might be displayed in him
This is one way to look at why pain and suffering still exists even though the Kingdom of God is here
God allows these to happen so that His glory may be revealed
Another way to deal with the tension is to remember that right now the Kingdom of God is spiritual. We are still stuck with our current bodies and current home on earth. The world is full of sin which is why these things happen.
But…holding on to the “now” holding onto the fact that we can find peace and joy in these hard times because Jesus is with us, is how we can work through the difficulties found in living in the world.
And in those hard times, when we are able to find peace, and find things that others are looking for will provide another glimpse of heaven for nonbelievers.
The tension is that the Kingdom of Heaven is calling and pulling us to better and greater things than what the Kingdom of the World is trying to give us.
When the world wants us to feel ashamed, feel hopeless, and fall into sin we have the Holy Spirit pulling us in a different direction saying “there is something greater. “ I have something so much better for you. I know this war you feel inside you, and I know that sometimes what the world is offering you looks good, sometimes really good. But trust me. It’s not worth it. My kingdom, being with me is better than anything else you could ever have, or experience, or long for.”
That is what pull of the Holy Spirit in each one of us
This is the tension we feel because we are still awaiting our Savior
This race that we are on is not easy
There are so many other trails that look like it would be easier to take
But we need to fix our eyes on Christ and keep looking to the finish line
One way to do this is by living in the Kingdom here and now
So, the next question I want to ask us is this...
How is God inviting me to better live in the kingdom of Heaven here and now?
In the midst of trials am I able to walk through it with peace knowing that the Lord of Hosts is on my side?
Do I have abundant life?
Am I experiencing the presence of God on a daily basis?
Am I able to find hope in hopeless situations?
Do I have unity with the body of Christ?
Are there chains that I need God to miraculously break?
Where does God desire for me to more fully experience heaven while I am here on earth?
In the midst of the tension am I living as a citizen of heaven?
Or am I going back to my old ways as a citizen of the world?
God’s desire, and Paul’s desire is that we would fully embrace our identity as citizens
In the middle of the tension
He wants us to press on
He desires to see us finish and to finish well
This is why he has exhorted the church to stand firm
Stand Firm
Stand Firm
1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Therefore...
This connects to the entire previous passage
As we strain toward the goal, as we hold true to what we have attained, as we imitate Paul, as we wait for Jesus’ return....Stand Firm
Stand firm in the Lord
To finish well and to even reach the finish line, we need to stand firm
What does it look like to Stand firm?
I have three “P’s” to help answer that question
The first is to have Patience
Have Patience
Have Patience
Again, Paul says that from our citizenship we await a Savior
We are waiting for Christ to return, but we need to be patient
We do not know when the time will come for Him to return
Patience reveals our trust in the power, love, and timing of God
If we are not patient, we are essentially trying to take control of it ourselves
Hebrews 12:1
We were just here last week, but I want to point something out really quick
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
This word “endurance” can also be translated to “patience”
In other words, where we usually understand patience to be passive by sitting around and waiting, most of the Greek words translate “patience” in the New Testament to active, robust words
We are to run the race with patience by persevering through difficulties
There are many examples of what this looks like in Scripture
Abraham had to wait a long time for what God had promised him, the prophets were an example of patience in the face of suffering, Job was patient and the Lord rewarded him for it. Jesus was the ultimate example though
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
To stand firm requires patience because we need to demonstrate the same patience and endurance that we see in Jesus
Jesus trusted the will of the Father
To have patience means to trust in God’s will and His power
How do we have patience like Christ?
First, we thank God. A person’s first reaction is usually “Why me?” when something that requires patience comes about, but the Bible says to rejoice in God’s will (Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:6).
Second, we seek His purposes. Sometimes God puts us in difficult situations so that we can be a witness. Other times, He might allow a trial for sanctification of character. Remembering that His purpose is for our growth and His glory will help us in the trial.
Third, we remember His promises such as Romans 8:28, which tells us that “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The “all things” include the things that try our patience.
Patience is active
To be patience means to not be complacent
It requires an active decision to trust and give our timing over to God
The next “P” of standing firm is “Prepared”
Be Prepared
Be Prepared
Preparation is key
Just like a runner for a marathon trains months in advance for the actual race, we need to be preparing our hearts every single day because we are running every single day
How can we be prepared so that we stand firm when trials come?
To stand firm…In The Lord literally gives the answer for us right there
We need to be in the Lord
Spending time consistently in prayer and in the Word is a great way to do that.
Taking a Sabbath is also a way to be spending time building relationship with the One who will help you to stand firm
The sabbath is something that used to not be a priority whatsoever for me
However, in the last 6 months, I have realized how much a Sabbath helps me stay energized throughout the week, how much it refreshes me, refocuses me, and helps me to be patient. It reminds me of where my priorities lie. Rather than relying on my own strength, I remember where my strength comes from. I still don’t have a Sabbath as often as I would like, but I have come to the realization that in order for my spiritual, and even physical health, I need a Sabbath
That is one way that I take care of my spiritual health to be prepared.
The more we set our eyes on Jesus, the more our eyes are not on earthly things.
As we take care of our spiritual health, we continue to live as citizens in the Kingdom of heaven
And as we live in the Kingdom of heave, we will have the needed strength to stand Firm in the Lord
Run with Perseverance
Run with Perseverance
Finally, the last “P” is Perseverance
Standing firm means to run with perseverance
James 1:2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
This is essentially what Paul is exhorting the Philippian church to do. He wants to see them reach the finish line. They are his joy and crown, and he wants to see them succeed.
To run with perseverance looks like taking the things we have to persevere through as opportunities to grow.
Rather than coming to a tough spot in the road and saying “oh well, I don’t need to finish anyway” and then stopping, we need to push through
To stand firm means that when we want to quit, or take a different route we set our eyes on Christ and on the finish line
Because, there is so much at stake
We are citizens of Heaven and have hope in the here and now and we have hope set for us in heaven
Giving up is not an option
To stand firm means to have patience, be prepared, and run with perseverance
So, my final question for us is this:
Where do I need to grow in patience, preparedness, or perseverance to better stand firm?
Conclusion
Conclusion
God desires for us to be living in the Kingdom here and now, and to do that we need to stand firm in the Lord
So, as we close this morning, I want us to spend some time reflecting on these questions
Read Questions
Expand as Spirit leads
As we wait for Fullness of all that God has planned to come into fruition, let’s live in the glory that He has set before us already
Let’s live as citizens not just grimly waiting for death to have life
Let’s begin to live abundantly in the Kingdom of Heaven today
Go ahead and spend some time in prayer, and then I’ll close us out in a few minutes with prayer and we will enter into worship