Our Citizenship

Intro:

Throughout the month of October we have been in a sermon series called Stand Firm.

In this series we have looked at how:

In the last days perilous times will come. People will not love the truth, they will not believe it, they will suppress it, and they will exchange it for a lie. However, I shared that shifting culture doesn’t have to shift us.

Through illustration we saw the importance of building a firm foundation. That in order to do so we must develop the ability hear. Through reading and studying the word of God we begin to gain the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord in turn is the beginning of knowledge and understanding. This wisdom and knowledge will give us prudence (the ability to have for-sight, knowledge that brings (perception, skill, discernment, and understanding), discretion (the ability to see intent), and Counsel (advice, wisdom, efficient wisdom, and abiding success). The second progression of hearing was doing (carry out) what we have heard.

I shared with you a parable of the Kingdom of God in Mark 4:26-29. That revealed how we are to partner with God to see growth in our life. He has given us all things pertaining to life and Godliness, but we are responsible to plant and cultivate the seed He has given in our hearts. As it is planted God causes it grow within us. Ultimately however what is most important is that we are plugged into the right power source. We have everything we need to be successful, but we need the power of the Holy Spirit to be effective.

Last week our guest Pastor Mike Dickenson shared about finishing the race. Winning the race in the kingdom is not about beating the other person. Winning is finishing the race and accomplishing the task that we have been given. God doesn’t give rewards for participation. He gives them for finishing.

Today as we wrap up our series I hope to give you one final picture to help illustrate why we must stand firm. My desire is that we would gain full understanding of the purpose of building a firm foundation. The critical decision of the believer to hear and obey God. The necessity of sowing and cultivating the seed of the word of God in our hearts so that we might bear fruit unto righteousness. Today I believe this message has the potential to help orient your life so that you might finish the race.

Today I want to talk with you about our citizenship.

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Submit:

Fundamentals of citizenship. Naturally speaking citizenship is a relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection. Recognition of this citizenship carries with it civil, political, and social rights that are not afforded to non citizens. These rights give the citizen the ability to travel to and from the state, the right to work, etc.

These same rights are not afforded to non citizens. These rights come by birth or through legal immigration into a state or nation. The allegiance to the state or nation is displayed by adopting the cultural norms, customs, and language. For the non citizen who is immigrating into a nation its often required to renounce previous cultural or national ties, and requires assimilation into the place of citizenship.

As we consider natural citizenship we must also contemplate the spirit. Listen when we confess Jesus as Lord over our life many things take place.

1) We are born into the kingdom of God through faith in Christ.

John 3:3-7 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

2) By calling Him Lord we are declaring allegiance to Him and His kingdom.

Romans 10:10 “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

3) The result is that we become citizens of heaven.

Philippians 3:20-21 “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.”

4) Finally, we renounce our former citizenship and assimilate into the culture of the Kingdom.

Colossians 1:13-14 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

To assimilate into the Kingdom we have to engage in three areas:

First, the renewal of our mind with the word of God. Learning the patterns, cultural norms, and language of the Kingdom. Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Second, we must be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we might bring the dominion of God’s Kingdom to the earth. Matthew 6:10, Acts 1:8

Jesus prayer in Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Third, we must live knowing that our citizenship is heaven. This truth changes our perspective. Our declaration of faith in Christ should cause us to align our life with the kingdom principles and culture. We no longer live like the world we walk by faith in the kingdom.

We stand firm in the Lord not because of the promise of heaven someday! We stand firm because we are citizens of heaven now! The culture of heaven is in us now through the Holy Spirit. We don’t need to wait to for eternity. We choose to live it now. Philippians 3:12-19.

Philippians 3:12-19 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, 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; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. 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.”

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Apply:

So our citizenship begins now not someday in the future. Through faith we are citizens of the kingdom today. This requires us to step out of the culture we have known and step into the kingdom process where we learn who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Kingdom Citizenship will affect every aspect of how we do life now. We don’t have the ability to wait for eternity.

The greatest challenge we will face on earth is that the culture of heaven is counter cultural to the culture of the earth. The earth is filled with the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The culture of heaven is Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

We have to choose to live counter-culturally knowing that we are not fully home until the day we are fully with Christ in heaven. We gather together as a church to sharpen, encourage, and grow one another so that we might walk in our identity as citizens of heaven. We don’t live for the now.

Matthew 6:19-21 where it says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Our understanding of citizenship should redirect our focus from an earthly mindest to an eternal mindset.

Please know that this truth will cause tension in our lives. Especially in new believers in Christ. We have such an intense desire to be accepted by those around us, but because of our trust in Christ we will not feel like we fit in with those around us. This can even happen in your immediate family you surrender your life to Christ and the people in your family begin to attack you. This is why we must be an active participant in the body of Christ.

The counter culture of the kingdom will cause the believer to suffer persecution. This shouldn’t deter our Hope in Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,”. What God is working in each of us who believe is eternal not temporary.

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Closing:

It does not matter what we will face in this life. We have confidence that we will overcome in Christ.

Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Because of this truth we can declare Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

The world’s culture would desire for us to feel ashamed because we do not fit in with what they are doing. Old friends, unsaved family, or coworkers attempting to tear down our lives through shame by focusing on our past mistakes. They desire to get you to turn back to your old ways. Don’t go back to it! You aren’t from their anymore. That person is dead and a the new man is alive in Christ.

Let us respond to the word in 2 Timothy 1:8-14 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”

This morning let us stand firm. Hebrews 10:35-36 “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:”

My prayer today as we end this series is that we would never shrink back to our former ways, but that we would press into Christ. That we would persevere so that we might see His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Let’s Pray!

Altar:

Salvation

That he would grant us the grace to stand firm. That we would not grow weary in fear, but through faith stand firm.