Philippians 3:17-21

Our Citizenship

There is no middle ground in our battle with evil. There are times when we must pick a side and take a stand. Truth demands a choice.

C.S. Lewis said, "Aim at heaven and you’ll get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you’ll get neither." (SC)

Tonight, I want us to take inventory on our lives, and come up with a plan of action that we will make heaven our home.

Philippians 3:17–21 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

I’m going to come back to verse 17, but lets start with two kinds of people that the Apostle Paul speaks about in this passage:

Enemies of the cross of Christ

and

Citizens of Heaven

Let’s take a few minutes and look at each of these.

Enemies of the cross of Christ

Philippians 3:18–19 NLT

For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.

It broke Paul’s heart to see people that only lived for this life. “They live as enemies…Their conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.”

Paul makes it pretty clear that not everybody goes to heaven. This isn’t God’s desire, but our own choices will determine our destiny.”

(Sermon Central)

In the late 1800’s there were two trappers that trapped muskrat and beavers all summer, and as they neared winter, they decided that it was time to head for home.

Big John and Little Joe headed up stream for home, and after a few hours of paddling their canoes, Big John decided to take a rest and just allow his canoe to drift back. He fell asleep and drifted back far enough that he had to paddle hard just to get to where he had been. Exhausted he rested. He fell asleep.

Little Joe kept paddling for his destination. Even though he was tired, he pressed in and arrived safe at home to the smell of fresh bread and baked beans.

Big John awoke to his canoe rocking. He was in the worst rapids he had ever seen. He had always used his strength to get out of trouble but the harder he paddled, the faster the canoe headed backwards. “John’s eyes catches the glimpse of a sign on the bank , it says “Point of no Return” Johns drifting has led him to the place of his doom. Terror fills his eyes as the canoe falls over Fall Creek Falls , the highest water fall this side of the Rocky Mountains.”

Last month, we talked about forgetting what is behind and pressing towards the goal. Little Joe kept his eye on the prize.

Too many fix their eyes on the wrong prize. Their god is their appetite.

What does Paul mean by this? Does he mean that they like to eat lots?

Appetite = Desire

What do we long for? What do we desire?

Enemies of the cross of Christ desire only earthly things.

Their god is only money, possessions, pleasure, lust, greed, and things that are only temporary.

Earthly desires aren’t necessarily wrong. Misplaced earthly desires are. Desires that take God’s place in our lives are wrong.

Trying to get to heaven any other way than placing our faith in Jesus just ends up blowing up in our face. It just doesn’t work.

1 Timothy 6:6–11 NLT

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

1 John 2:15–17 NLT

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Let’s look at

Our citizenship

Philippians 3:20–21 NLT

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

Because we have given our lives to Christ, our home is heaven. We have true life because Jesus lives in us. Are you waiting for Jesus to return?

This is what he’s going to do. He’s going to take our bodies that are have pain, that are weak, that have their problems and He is going to give us no bodies in heaven that have no pain, weakness. They won’t wobble. We won’t need glasses. We won’t have issues with our weight, and we will be like Jesus because we will see Him as He is.

He wants us to follow Him all the days of our lives and He promises in Psalm 23:6

Psalm 23:6 NLT

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Let’s get back to verse 17

Philippians 3:17 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

This is where discipleship comes in. We need people to walk with us so that we can follow their example

First and foremost, let’s follow Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul said,

1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

This is a high calling for us as Christians. We need to be making disciples and they should imitate us as we imitate Christ. This means that the way we live needs to be an example to everybody that we love Jesus.

Are we perfect? No!

But Jesus is and He gives us the power to live for Him. Let’s love Jesus and follow Him with all that we are and strive to be.

If we fall, come to Jesus and confess our sins and lean on each other to become more like Jesus.

Amen!