Dual Citizenship? Stand firm! (CC)

SERMON IS BASED ON PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 3 BEGINNING WITH VERSE 17: JOIN TOGETHER IN FOLLOWING MY EXAMPLE, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND JUST AS YOU HAVE US AS A MODEL, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THOSE WHO LIVE AS WE DO. FOR AS I HAVE OFTEN TOLD YOU BEFORE AND NOW TELL YOU AGAIN EVEN WITH TEARS, MANY LIVE AS ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST. THEIR DESTINY IS DESTRUCTION, THEIR GOD IS THEIR STOMACH, AND THEIR GLORY IS IN THEIR SHAME. THEIR MIND IS SET ON EARTHLY THINGS. BUT OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN. AND WE EAGERLY AWAIT A SAVIOR FROM THERE, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO, BY THE POWER THAT ENABLES HIM TO BRING EVERYTHING UNDER HIS CONTROL, WILL TRANSFORM OUR LOWLY BODIES SO THAT THEY WILL BE LIKE HIS GLORIOUS BODY. THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOU WHOM I LOVE AND LONG FOR, MY JOY AND CROWN, STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, IN THIS WAY, DEAR FRIENDS! THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD. LET US PRAY: GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND COMFORT. AMEN. [TEXT TAKEN FROM THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA, INC.] DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST: WHEN WE THINK OF THE APOSTLE PAUL, WE THINK OF ALL OF THE PLACES THAT HE TRAVELED WITH THE GOSPEL. SHARING THE WORD OF GOD TO THE GENTILES THAT WAS HIS CALLING. BUT HE REACHED OUT TO MANY OF THE PLACES IN THE KNOWN WORLD OF HIS TIME. AND YET IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WE HAVE ONE OF THE LETTERS THAT HE WROTE TO A GROUP OF CHRISTIANS THAT HE SERVED. THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS WHERE OUR TEXT COMES FROM THIS MORNING. AND THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS HAS SOME DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN IT IN STYLE, THAN THE OTHER LETTERS THAT PAUL WROTE. IT SEEMED THAT PAUL HAD A STRONG AFFINITY FOR THESE PEOPLE. HE HAD A TRUE LOVE FOR THOSE PEOPLE IN PHILIPPI AND HAD DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. A RELATIONSHIP THAT WE SEE EVEN IN THIS TEXT FOR THIS MORNING THAT BROUGHT HIM TO TEARS. HE SPEAKS ABOUT HOW HE LOVES THESE PEOPLE. THEY ARE HIS JOY AND HIS CROWN. HE LONGS TO SEE THEM AGAIN. HE LONGS TO BE WITH THEM AGAIN. BUT YET HE ALSO WEEPS FOR THEM. HE WEEPS BECAUSE HE REALIZES HOW DIFFICULT THEIR CALLING IS AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD. BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST. HE REALIZED THAT THEIR STRUGGLE AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD WAS A DAILY STRUGGLE. A DAILY STRUGGLE TO FIGHT AGAINST SATAN AND THE WORLD THAT WANTS TO SILENCE THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST. THAT WANTS TO DO ANYTHING IT CAN TO DESTROY A PERSON'S SOUL. AND TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN THAT FACT. PAUL DESCRIBES THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AS ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST AS BEING FOCUSED ON THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD. THEY'RE HEADED FOR DESTRUCTION. THEIR GOD IS THEIR STOMACH. THEY GLORY IN THEIR SHAME. THEY GLORY IN THEIR SHAME. PRETTY WELL SUMS UP THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE, DOESN'T IT? IT'S NOT HARD FOR US TO LOOK AT PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO ARE ONLY FOCUSED ON THE BLESSINGS AND JOYS IN THE THINGS THAT THEY GET OUT OF THIS LIFE. THE SELFISHNESS. THE EGOS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TODAY IN THEIR PURSUIT OF WHAT THEY DESERVE BECAUSE THEY TAKE UP SPACE IN THIS WORLD AND THEY HAVE BREATH. THEIR GOD IS DESTRUCTION. ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS SATISFY THEIR PHYSICAL AND BODILY NEEDS WITH MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE. AND MORE IS NEVER ENOUGH. WHEN WE HEAR OF PEOPLE 53 MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT ASKING OTHER PEOPLE FOR MONEY, WITH NO SHAME AND NO QUALMS. SPEAKS TO THE WORLD OF OUR DAY, DOESN'T IT? WHAT PEOPLE POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA! THE IMAGES AND PICTURES THAT PEOPLE HAVE ON THEIR PHONE! JO AND I WERE JUST REMARKING THE OTHER DAY: IT'S REALLY A DIFFERENT WORLD WHEN YOU THINK OF WHAT PEOPLE USE THAT PHONE FOR JUST IN RELATIONSHIPS. BECAUSE WE NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH 'REVENGE PORN' WHEN WE BROKE UP WITH SOMEONE. THE HATRED THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR OTHERS. THE DISRESPECT THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR EACH OTHER. THAT'S THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE. AND WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT DO WE, AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD, DO? GO OUT OF OUR HOMES, INTO THAT MESS EACH AND EVERY DAY AND TRY TO FIT IN? TRY TO BLEND IN? TRY TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE WHEN THINGS HAPPEN? SO WE DON'T GET ATTACKED? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE HOPE THAT WE HAVE? OR THE DISGUST THAT GOD SAYS CONCERNING THE BEHAVIOR THAT IS ABHORRENT TO HIM. WE BELIEVE IN GOD. WE BELIEVE IN HIS WORD. AND JUST LIKE JEREMIAH, AND JUST LIKE CHRIST, WE PROCLAIM THAT WORD. WE SHOW THAT WORD IN THE THINGS THAT WE DO, IN THE THINGS THAT WE SAY AND HOW WE LIVE OUR LIFE. AND JUST AS PAUL WAS CONCERNED WITH THE PHILIPPIANS, WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED OURSELVES SO THAT WE CAN STAND FIRM IN THE MIDST OF THIS WORLD. STAND FIRM IN THE ASSAULTS THAT COME ON US. STAND FIRM WITHOUT FEAR BECAUSE WE STAND WITH JESUS CHRIST. BECAUSE WE STAND FIRM IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HEAVEN IS OURS. AND THAT'S A STRUGGLE EACH AND EVERY DAY. TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON CHRIST. BUT I THINK SOMETIMES IN OUR LIVES, WE HAVE REDUCED THE IMAGE OF JESUS TO SOMEONE WHO WENT THROUGH THIS LIFE AND JUST HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME. I MEAN, YES, WE ALL KNOW OF THE SUFFERING THAT HE WENT THROUGH. BUT MAYBE WE FORGET THE ENCOUNTERS LIKE THE PHARISEES WHO CAME UP TO HIM IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON FOR TODAY AND SAID: TAKE YOUR STUFF OUT OF HERE. WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE. UNDER THE GUISE OF HEROD WHO IS GOING TO KILL YOU. AND JESUS RESPONDS: YOU CAN GO BACK AND TELL THAT FOX I'M NOT LEAVING. I'M GOING TO BE HERE. I'M GOING TO PROCLAIM TO YOU THE MESSAGE OF GOD. AND HOW OFTEN HASN'T GOD WANTED TO GATHER YOU UNDER HIS WINGS WITH THAT PROTECTING AND PARENTAL CARE OF A HEN GATHERING HER CHICKS UNDER HERSELF. TO KEEP THEM SAFE. TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE FOX AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE COMING TO DESTROY THEM. BUT JERUSALEM WOULDN'T HAVE IT. THOSE WORDS, OF HOW JERUSALEM IS DESCRIBED. THE CITY OF GOD: YOU, WHO KILL THE PROPHETS. IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE SAW WITH JEREMIAH. HE TOLD THEM TO REPENT AND RETURN TO THE LORD. AND THEY WANTED TO KILL HIM. IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD THEY GRAB THE PROPHET OF GOD AND WANTED HIM DEAD. AND WHAT DID JEREMIAH SAY TO THEM? GO AHEAD. I HAVE TO PROCLAIM TO YOU THE MESSAGE THAT GOD SENT. GO AHEAD AND KILL ME. THEN MY INNOCENT BLOOD WILL BE ON YOU. CUZ HE KNEW WHERE HE WAS HEADED. AND HE WAS NOT GOING TO LET ANYTHING ROB HIM OF THAT GLORY. NOTHING OF THIS WORLD, NOTHING OF THE TEMPORAL, WERE GOING TO STOP EITHER JESUS OR JEREMIAH AS THEY STOOD FIRM IN THEIR FAITH. AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET OUR FUEL AS WELL. TO STAND FIRM IN CHRIST. TO NOT RELY ON OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE. TO NOT RELY ON OUR OWN BRAINS, BUT TO RELY ON JESUS WHO SUFFERED ON OUR BEHALF. WHO SECURED FOR US OUR ETERNAL HOME. WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN! WE HAVE THAT PASSPORT IN OUR HAND TODAY THAT WHEN WE DIE WE ARE GOING TO LIVE WITH GOD. THAT'S OUR CONFIDENCE. THAT'S OUR ASSURANCE. THAT'S OUR STRENGTH AND POWER FOR DAILY LIVING THAT WE ARE LEAVING ALL OF THIS WORLD BEHIND TO BE WITH GOD. TO LIVE WITH HIM IN PURITY AND HOLINESS ALL OUR DAYS. TO SING HIS PRAISES. BECAUSE HE HAS GIVEN US THE VICTORY. AND IT IS IN THAT VICTORY THAT WE STAND AND FIGHT. NOT AS COWERING PEOPLE, NOT AS PEOPLE AFRAID OF WHAT THE WORLD CAN DO TO US. NOT AFRAID OF WHAT SATAN CAN DO TO US. BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US. HE HAS SAVED US. HE HAS OPENED TO US HIS KINGDOM. WHERE HE WILL BE OUR ROYAL LEADER. TAKING CARE OF US. PROTECTING US FOR ALL ETERNITY! BECAUSE WE ARE THE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN. AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT FROM US. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR DAYS ARE GOING TO BE EASY. IT MEANS THE EXACT OPPOSITE. THAT EACH AND EVERY DAY IS A STRUGGLE FOR US. IT IS A WAR, AND IT IS A FIGHT. BECAUSE THE WORLD LOVES IT WHEN THEY SEE A CHRISTIAN STUMBLE AND FALL, ESPECIALLY IN ONE OF THOSE SCENES THAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE VILE. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND FORGIVENESS. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE LOVE OF GOD. BUT WE DO! KNOWING THAT GOD FORGIVES OUR SINS; THAT HE LOVES US! WHEN WE COME TO HIM WITH REPENTANT HEARTS, HE REMINDS US THAT HE HAS SHOWN HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US IN THE FACT THAT OUR SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. THAT HEAVEN IS OURS. HE ... IS ... OUR GOD! WE DON'T HAVE DESTRUCTION BEFORE US. WE HAVE ETERNAL BLESSING FOR ALL OF OUR DAYS. THE GLORIES OF HEAVEN; THE JOYS OF GOD. AND WE STAND FIRM IN THAT KNOWLEDGE MINDFUL OF WHAT IS OURS. AND NOT WANTING TO LOSE THAT FOR ANYTHING. AND JUST AS PAUL ENCOURAGED THE PHILIPPIANS, HE ENCOURAGES EACH OF US AS WELL. HE SAYS: JOIN TOGETHER. ALL OF YOU. ALL OF US. JOIN TOGETHER IN FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND JUST AS YOU HAVE US AS A MODEL, KEEP YOUR EYES ON THOSE WHO LIVE AS WE DO. THERE'S THE GREATEST COMFORT IN STANDING FIRM TO JOIN WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE. TO BE WITH THEM. TO SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM THOSE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LOVE GOD. WHO ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS. BUT TO LIVE WITH THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, AND WORSHIP AT THE CROSS, WHO BELIEVE IN HIM, WHO TRUST IN HIM. WHO WE WANT TO SEE AT OUR SIDES IN THE GLORY OF HEAVEN. AND THAT HELPS US DAILY THEN AS WE STAND FIRM IN CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN. LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES IN THE ONE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.