Sermon Series: Jesus: Everything We Need

 Living Like Citizens of Heaven 

Philippians 1:27-30 

CBC Bishop, April 6, 2003

In a nutshell: There are three principles for living like Citizens of Heaven: Live up to who we are; stand up for the truth; and face up to the opposition. These are the ways we can be salt and light in our world today.

I. Introduction

A. Absolute Truth? I

Illustration: I don't know if you remember where you were when the events of 9/11/01 transpired. But that was one of those things I'll never forget. I was getting ready for work. I turned the TV on to watch Matt and Katie on the Today Show, and I saw the pictures of the devastation that was caused from the first airplane that hit the World Trade Center. Then I watched with horror as the second plane hit that building. And then I watched that huge structure implode under the weight of itself. I was literally frozen in my tracks. I could barely move.

After those events of 9/11, there seemed to be a change that started to happen across America. There seemed to be an almost unanimous feeling across our country that those terrorist attacks that the Al-Qaeda unleashed on the American people were wrong. And that gave me hope. Maybe this had shocked people enough to make them return, in their thinking, to a clearer standard of right and wrong-what we would call "absolute values".

But my hope was short lived. Because in February of last year, the Barna Research Group did a major survey on what American people believed. What saddened me was that the research found that only a minority of Americans actually believe in the existence of a standard for truth. In the study that was done, the research found that… -64% of American adults believe that there are no moral absolutes, and -83% of American teenagers believe that there is no absolute truth. (Reported in the Pastor's Weekly Briefing, from Focus on the Family, February 14, 2002.)

B. Why?

Friends, the fact we have to face in today's world is that most people in America-including most people in the Owens Valley-have rejected an idea that is foundational to the Christian faith-the idea of absolute truth. Instead of believing in absolutes, most of the people you know, hold to an idea of situational truth. In other words, truth is truth, depending on my circumstances. What is true in one situation may not be true in another. In fact, most people believe today that the best you can hope for is to find a truth that works for you.

Now, there are a couple of reasons why our society rejects the idea of absolute truth.

1. One reason is that the idea of absolute truth implies an absolute Truth-giver. In other words, there must be a God who dictates what truth is. And the idea of a God who dictates truth and expects people to live by that truth is something that a lot of people don't want to accept.

2. But a second reason why people have rejected the idea of absolute truth is because they have rejected people who have claimed to speak truth. They've rejected us. And therefore they've rejected our faith. That's because, unfortunately, so many Christians have been poor examples of faithful people during the past 50 years, or so.

But, that makes perfect sense. -When non-believers see people saying one thing and doing another; or -when they hear people speaking the truth in an unloving way… …they wonder. And you really can't blame them. When our lives don't reflect the truth that our lips declare, people become skeptical about the truth we speak.

C. War against Truth

So there is a war raging in our country. It's a bigger war than the war on terrorism or the war against Iraq. -It is a war against truth. -It is a war for the minds of every individual in our society, and -It is a war that is being fought on many different fronts. …But ultimately it is a spiritual war. It is a war between God, who is "the author of truth"-and Satan-who is the "father of lies". But while this is a spiritual war between God and Satan, God's enemy is using people to infiltrate and penetrate society on his behalf and do his dirty work.

And today Satan has a whole lot of weapons in his arsenal. Today, there are more books, newspapers, and magazines to read than ever before. There are more movies and videos to watch than ever before. Our televisions have more than 100 channels. And now there is the Internet. We are living in unprecedented times as far as our ability to communicate information from one person to another. And Satan is using many, many people in these mediums as he fights God in this war on truth.

But God uses people too. As Christians, we are not called to retreat and wait for the end of the world, so God can show up and straighten out this mess. No, we are called to infiltrate and penetrate every area of society with the truth about God. And how do we do this? I like to put it this way, …we do it by living like people who are citizens of Heaven while we are living here on Earth.

If you have your Bibles, I'd like for you to turn to Philippians, chapter 1, and today we'll be looking at the last 4 verses of that chapter.

Philippians 1:27-30 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

II. Three Principles for Living like a Citizen of Heaven

In these four verses, Paul tells us how to live our lives in the face of a culture that doesn't believe in the foundational truths about God. He tells us how to live like Citizens of Heaven. He gives us three specific principles to follow.

A. Live up to who we are.

The first of those principles for living like a citizen of heaven is to live up to who we are. Paul said to the Christians at Philippi in verse 27…conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Now, to be honest with you, this is really not the best translation of that phrase. I think the translators went a little too far in trying to make this phrase understandable in our English language, and by doing so, lost some of the core idea that Paul was trying to communicate to the Philippian Christians. You see, the Greek word that's translated "conduct yourselves" literally means "act as a citizen."

Illustration: The city of Philippi was a Roman colony. The people who lived there were Roman citizens. And because of that, they had all the same privileges and perks that the people who lived in the actual City of Rome had. And it was an honor to be a citizen of Rome in Paul's day. Being a Roman citizen was more meaningful-in fact it took precedence over any other kind of citizenship that a person living in any city in the world during that day, could have. And anyone who was a Roman citizen in Paul's day was proud to be that-first and foremost!

So, Paul is speaking to them about a concept that they knew very well. He was reminding them that they were citizens of something even greater than Rome-they are citizens of God's Kingdom! He uses this same word in Philippians 3:20, where the translators do a better job by translating it… "But our citizenship is in heaven." And the same is true for us. While we live on Earth, we must never forget that our real home is Heaven. You and I are a citizens of Heaven and we need to act like it.

Now, the reason we're citizens of Heaven is because we are children of God. It says in…

John 1:12 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

That verse tells us that every person who trusts Jesus as the forgiver of his or her sin and follows Him as the leader of his or her life becomes a member of God's family. Our problem is that, too often, we fail to understand the radical nature of this new family relationship.

When Jesus becomes the forgiver of our sin and the leader of our life, something happens to us that radically alters us at the very core of our being. A new nature is planted in us.

Now, we may not feel any different initially, but the fact is that we have been invaded by the Spirit of God. A transformation has begun that will not end until we go to meet Him in Heaven. It is changing us into citizens of Heaven even though we live on Earth.

Our challenge is to see ourselves from this new perspective. But we will never see ourselves as citizens of Heaven, unless we get regular input from the ruler of Heaven-God, Himself. -Spending time in prayer; -reading His Word; -thinking and meditating on His truth, -following what that quiet voice of the Spirit tells us to do, …are all necessary for our minds to be reprogrammed to see ourselves from God's heavenly perspective, rather than our earthly perspective.

This is not rocket science that I'm talking about, folks. If you spend all of your time reading things that are not related to God, or simply watching television, or viewing videos, or surfing the Internet, you will never see the reality of who you are in Christ. And you will never be who God intended you to be in this life.

B. Stand up for the truth.

The second principle for living like a citizen of heaven is we must stand up for the truth. Paul wrote in the second half of verse 27…

Philippians 1:27b Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.

Christians have the truth. Now, that's not a statement of arrogance. Some people think it is, but it really isn't. As followers of Jesus Christ, we simply believe what God said…that we have discovered the truth that sets people free. We didn't create it. We simply have experienced it. That's what Paul is writing about when he uses the phrase, the faith of the gospel in this verse. And Paul says we are to "contend" for it. What does he mean?

Illustration: Lord willing, we are going to buy a manufactured home in the Highlands in a couple of months. It is a brand new home and even though it is equipped with a propane furnace, as a cost saving measure, we want to put in a stove of some sort. Now as I've talked with several of you, I've gotten some strong advice. Some have told me a wood burning stove is the way to go. Others have said a pellet stove is the way to go. And others have told me that a kerosene heater is the way to go. Everyone who has a strong belief on the subject of stoves or heaters has not hesitated to share their beliefs with me. Friends, having a strong belief and sharing your strong belief with someone else is "contending".

And if we are willing to share our strong beliefs about stoves with others, how much more, as Christians, should we stand up for our convictions about the Truth! This is no place to be timid. We need to "contend" for the faith-the truth about God. But how do we share God's truth in a meaningful way, so people receive it, rather than reject it?

1. First of all, Paul says we must do it in the power and unity of the Spirit. When Paul says those words in verse 27, that we are to stand firm in one spirit, he is talking about the power of the Holy Spirit that connects us to God.

The Holy Spirit is our power source. -He gives us the ability to stand firm in our beliefs, AND -He enables all of us to stand together in one firm conviction of the truth.

Think about it…, on the day of Pentecost…, -It was the Holy Spirit who came upon a small group of disciples who had gathered together in the upper room. -It was the Holy Spirit who gave them boldness to speak the truth about God. -It was the Holy Spirit who transformed Peter from a coward into a lion. Before Pentecost he was afraid to admit that he even knew Jesus. But after the Holy Spirit came on him, he was able to stand up before thousands of people and tell them the truth that Christ was the only way to Heaven.

And folks, the Holy Spirit isn't dead. The Holy Spirit hasn't taken a vacation in 2003. You and I can experience that same power to speak the truth that Peter and the first disciples experienced at Pentecost, because we have that same Spirit dwelling in us that they had dwelling in them.

We can experience the same unity with other believers, across denominational, and church lines that the Christians of the first century experienced together. Because we have the same Spirit.

It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to stand together with other Christians around this area, and around the United States, and around the world to share the truth about God and a relationship with Him. It is the Spirit of God that gives us the power to contend as one man for the faith of the gospel. We can stand with all Christians everywhere in the world, in the Main Thing of our Faith. That… Acts 4:12 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

2. The second way we share the truth of God in a meaningful way is we do it for the sake of the gospel. The gospel means "good news". The Good News is that Jesus took the penalty for our sins on Himself when He died on the cross, and by His resurrection, He is able to give us His righteousness so we can spend eternity in heaven, not hell. When you think about it, that's really the only truth that matters. The gospel is our message. Our message isn't good works. Our message isn't doing good deeds. It's not just getting along with people. It is something so much bigger. It is why we've been left here on earth. Paul wrote in…

Romans 1:16 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

God has given us this message and commissioned us for a mission that's designed to infiltrate and penetrate every aspect of our culture with the good news of Jesus. -God has made some of you nurses and health care workers because the medical profession needs Jesus. -God has made some of you engineers because the engineering world needs Jesus. -God had made some of you service industry workers, because the people who receive your services need Jesus. -God has made some of you retired because retirees need Jesus. And I could go on and on. Whatever you are, in terms of your occupation, or your hobby, or your stage in life…, you are that for Jesus.

The goal of your occupation is not to make money. If that's your goal, you are extremely shortsighted. You haven't seen who you are. The goal of your occupation is for you to infiltrate the part of the world that you touch with the truth about Jesus Christ. Because it is the most important truth there is for any human being to know.

3. Review

So, are you with me so far? If the truth about God, Jesus, and salvation is to be made known through us, you and I must act like citizens of heaven, not citizens of earth. To do that, first of all we need to live up to who we are. Second we are to stand up for the truth-and we stand for the truth in the power and unity of the Spirit and for the sake of the gospel. But there's one more principle necessary for us to follow in order to act like citizens of heaven

C. Face up to opposition.

And that's to face up to opposition. In verse 28, Paul wrote that there would be those who oppose you. It is important for us to understand that when we live like we're citizens of heaven, we will have opposition from those who live like citizens of earth-count on it! So the first thing we need to remind ourselves of is this…

1. Don't be surprised!

Don't be surprised! Listen to what Paul says in…

2 Timothy 3:12 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

We shouldn't be surprised when we encounter opposition and even persecution for the cause of Christ. Paul says to the Philippian Christians…

Philippians 1:29-30 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

And don't think that because you live in the United States and not some Muslim country that you won't face opposition and persecution because you follow the truth of God. The United States of America is fast becoming anti-Christ and anti-Christian. The same people who preach tolerance for all points of view are the most intolerant when it comes to the Christian view of life.

Secular culture wants to paint Christians as being intolerant. Any group who holds views that claim there are absolute truths with which people don't agree will be labeled extremist, or full of hate, or prejudiced in our society today. So don't be surprised when you're put down because you speak the truth.

2. Don't be afraid!

But also, Paul says, don't be afraid when you get opposition. He tells us in verse 28… …to stand for the truth without being frightened in any way by those who oppose.

And when you think about it, that's great advice. Because what have we got to fear? When we fear what people think of us, or what they'll say to us, or what they'll do to us when we speak the truth about God, we're thinking in earthly terms. The reality of things is there is nothing that anyone can do to us that has any eternal significance. Our eternity is already in heaven. That issue is settled. And no one can separate us from the love of God.

Illustration: When Martin Luther was being chased down by the leaders of the Catholic Church during the time of the Reformation, he was teaching that faith in Jesus was all that was needed to be saved from the consequences of your sin. And because of that, the civil and religious authorities came gunning for him. He became a marked man. And during that time of persecution, he wrote the words to the great hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God. Now think of that…in the midst of persecution, death threats, and isolation, he wrote (front of worship folders) "the body they may kill; God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever."

That's our confidence, as well. When Joshua, in the Old Testament was terrified of fighting a battle that God told him to fight, God said this to him…

Joshua 1:9 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

You and I can have courage to speak the truth because the same God that gave courage to Joshua, the same God who gave courage to Martin Luther… will give courage to us. And through our courage, people will come to know the truth about God. That's why Paul says in the last part of verse 28…

Philippians 1:28b This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-and that by God.

III. Conclusion

So, how do we penetrate our culture with the truth about God? It's pretty simple. By remembering we're citizens of heaven, not citizens of earth.

Illustration: Years ago, a man visited his longtime friend, who was a British military officer stationed in a remote outpost in the African jungle. One day when the friend entered the officer's tent, he was startled to see the officer dressed in a formal uniform and seated at a table that was set with silverware and fine china. The visitor asked his friend why he was all dressed up and seated at a table that was so finely arrayed, in the jungle! The officer explained, "Once a week I follow this routine to remind myself of who I am-a British citizen. I want to maintain the customs of my real home and live according to the codes of British conduct, no matter how those around me live. I want to avoid substituting a foreign culture for that of my homeland."

Friends, the apostle Paul tells us this morning that Christians avoid substituting the foreign culture of this earth for their real homeland by… …living up to who we are …standing up for the truth …and facing up to opposition. How are you living?…like a citizen of heaven, or a citizen of earth? Amen.