King Jesus

Luke Kirkendall

Philippians • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Citizenship

Please open your Bibles to

Read .

In March of 2017, Amanda and I took a trip to New York City.

We did all the typical tourist stuff.

Saw a Broadway play.

Took a carriage ride through Central Park

Walk down a dark alley on a rainy night.

Take a subway.

Go to Brooklyn on accident.

But one of the coolest parts of the trip was the day we went to the Statue of Liberty and afterwards Ellis Island.

It was amazing to walk the path that many took as they journeyed to this great nation.

Amanda and I wondered how our ancestors made it to the United States.

It’s moments like that, where we realized our citizenship as Americans is something special.

And now when I meet people, who are not born US citizens, but have immigrated here, I appreciate what they went through to not only call this home, but how they now identify as citizens of the United States of America.

Citizenship is something special.

Likewise, the Philippians were very proud of their Roman citizenship.

They were not originally a part of the Roman Empire.

Eventually, they were acquired by Rome, and many Roman army veterans would settle down in Philippi.

They weren’t born citizens.

With the huge Roman presence in Philippi, the people of Philippi were granted full citizenship.

They were exempt from certain taxes.

And they proudly adopted Roman culture.

They dressed as Romans.

They built buildings like Romans.

They spoke like Romans.

They were proud of their Roman Citizenship and they imitated those who lived in Rome.

And in the same way, none of us are born into God’s kingdom.

We don’t enter the world already citizens of God’s kingdom.

Even if you are born to Christian parents, into a Christian family, you are not born a Christian.

You must be born again.

Think of the language that Jesus used when talking to Nicodemus one night in , “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Or Paul’s language in , “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

Those are words to Christians.

This is how you used to be.

The powerful language of conversion is found in , “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

What are the key words there?

“And such were some of you.”

They needed to be born again.

We are not naturally citizens of God’s Kingdom, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we become a part of God’s immigration process.

says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Just as people took cruise liners and boats to change their citizenship from one nation and become US citizens; God is taking people from Satan’s kingdom, and bringing them into Christ’s Kingdom.

So we are not naturally citizens of heaven, we don’t naturally follow the customs of God’s Kingdom.

But upon conversion, like the person who immigrates to a new land, or like the Philippians who adopted Roman culture, we too must adopt the lifestyle of our Christian citizenship.

We don’t naturally live that way.

That’s what this whole passage is about.

What does it mean to be citizens of God’s kingdom?

How do we learn to live like a citizen?

What are we to watch out for?

And what are the benefits of being a citizen?

Let’s answer the first question, How do we learn to live like a citizen, or to put it another way, What is the Pathway to Citizenship?

You see Paul’s answer to that in verse 17.

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

How do you live like a citizen? You find someone who is one, and you live like them.

You imitate them.

You copy them.

There’s a dark period of time in my life, that I’m ashamed of.

And in the spirit of full transparency and honesty, I’m going to confess it to you.

And prayerfully, the Elders will respond in mercy to what I’m going to tell you.

When I was in middle school … I was a … line dancer.

Every Wednesday, the Italian Cowboy, a country bar, would open up its doors to families.

And every Wednesday, I’d put on my boots, grab my cowboy hat, and go to the Italian Cowboy and line dance.

I knew most of the dances.

The Boot Scootin Boogie

The Achy Breaky

The Tush Push

The Electric Slide

I’m sad to say … I liked it.

Occasionally, there’d be a dance I didn’t know.

I would awkwardly stand on the side and watch those who knew what their doing.

I always about 2 steps behind trying to pick up the moves.

I’d watch over my shoulder, trying to learn from the drunks on the dance floor.

The whole thing is embarrassing to even think about.

I would watch those, and imitate those who knew what they were doing.

And in regards to our Christian citizenship, you watch those who know what their doing.

You imitate those who know what their doing.

If you want to live like a citizen, you need to watch how a citizen lives, and then imitate them.

You find a mature Christian and learn from him.

Learn under him.

Observe him.

How does he pray?

How does he spend time with God?

How is he involved in the church and in the body?

You imitate him.

We need this, because remember, none of us are naturally a part of the kingdom of God.

The Christian life is not something we grew up doing.

It’s not our custom.

It’s not our habit.

Prior to our conversion, the self was the rule of law.

Do what you want.

Do what makes you happy.

We need to be taught.

We need to learn.

Maybe you think the idea of imitating is weird.

It’s been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery.

In 1979, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founders of Apple Computer, were invited to Xerox to look at some of their prototypes.

While there, they found an early computer with a mouse attached to it.

At this time, computers were only text driven.

You had to enter commands to tell it what to do.

The idea of using a mouse to navigate around on a computer was completely foreign.

Steve Jobs saw the mouse and knew that this was the trick to bringing computers to the masses.

He took the idea, stole the idea, and ran with it.

Pardon the pun, but he copied Xerox.

When it comes to the Christian life, you find a Christian who is mature, you copy him.

In fact Paul’s language here in verse 17 is not optional.

It’s an imperative.

“Brothers, you must join in imitating me.”

“You must keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

This is why it’s so important to be a part of a church with:

Elders

Mature believers.

So that you can learn from others.

Copy them.

And also for the mature believers to set an example to the less mature Christians.

This requires humility because it means acknowledging that you need to grow, and you need to learn.

The disciples walked with Jesus for 3 years prior to their ministry over the church.

Paul, spent 3 years in training after his own conversion.

One of the requirements for an elder in is that an elder needs to hold firm to doctrine as they’ve been taught

So join the disciples, join Paul, and imitate a mature Christian.

Learning under him or her learn under her if your a woman.

So find someone to mature under.

There is a need to grow, there is a need to mature.

Jesus never said, “Be converted but remain how you were and figure it out on your own.”

He said, “Follow me.”

Become a disciple.

While there is a command to imitate more mature Christians, we are not to imitate everyone. Which is why Paul gives us a warning, a warning of a Counterfeit Citizenship.

There is a warning here.

While there is a command to imitate more mature Christians, we are not to imitate everyone.

We don’t like to hear this kind of stuff.

It’s not popular to warn.

But warning was something that Paul frequently did.

In , after teaching on false teachings, Paul tells Timothy that he will be a faithful pastor if he also warns the church.

In II Timothy Paul names names.

And in , Paul warned the Ephesian church, that false teachers will come from within the church.

Paul warns of some who may appear to be true citizens of God’s kingdom, but in reality they are double agents, they are spies from the enemy.

That means this is a painful truth.

The reality is that there are people who will appear to be Christians, but they are not.

As Paul was leaving the Ephesian church in , he closes with this warning.

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Perhaps you see the pain of this sad truth.

The church is a family.

The church is composed of those who are saved by Christ.

And yet within this intimate family of saints, there are those who are actually enemies.

Or to use Paul’s words, they walk as enemies of the Cross of Christ.

And when this family is split up false teaching and error … it’s painful.

That is painful.

It’s painful because it’s personal.

These false teachers, these spies of the devil are people that we know.

This is why Paul says he warns the church “even with tears.”

This is painful.

It’s painful to speak of the heresy that attacks the church.

It’s not fun to hear about.

And even today it’s not fun to hear about it.

Yet, it’s something that we need to hear.

Because the attack is close.

The attack is personal.

Look at Paul’s language in verse 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.?

Paul says “I have often told you and now tell you ...”

He’s spoken of this in the past.

And he continues to tell them now.

A pastor’s job is to continually warn and protect the church.

It’s not a one and done job.

He can’t say, “Well I warned them once, I don’t ever need to do that again.”

It may not be fun to hear, but a church that is warned is a church that is protected.

In , Paul describes the false teachings that will attack the church.

After giving his warning, he then tells Timothy, who is serving as the pastor in Ephesus, “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus ...”

A good servant, a good pastor, warns the church.

Why does Paul weep?

Because those who oppose truth … are enemies of the Cross.

And not the wooden structure that Jesus died on, we are talking about Jesus Christ.

The sad and brutal truth is that if someone is not in Christ, they are enemies of Christ.

This is painful, because if you are not in Christ … you are an enemy of Christ.

Sure you may be a nice guy.

You may be moral.

You may be friendly.

You may keep your yard clean.

But if Jesus is not your Savior, if you refuse to surrender to Him … you are living as a traitor, as a treasonous rebel.

When we meet someone who’s not a Christian, but who’s really nice, we struggle with the thought that this person could possibly go to Hell.

Because he’s nice to us.

He’s nice to you.

But remember, you’re not his judge, you’re not his God.

He’s not rebelling against you.

He has no problem with you.

It’s God that he refuses.

And so with tears in our eyes, we see these people that we love, and we know that in their rebellion they live as enemies of God.

If you are a Christian, you are a citizen of a new nation, Christ’s kingdom.

Paul gives us 4 brief warnings about our old citizenship, and why to run from them.

You cannot follow your old customs anymore.

Imagine moving from England to the United States.

You get off the plane, you rent a car.

You put the keys in the ignition.

If you get on the left side of the road … your stay here will be brief.

If you are going to drive in the US, you get on the right side of the road.

In Christ’s kingdom, your old habits need to die, or you will die.

Paul gives us 4 brief warnings about our old citizenship.

First, worldliness is deadly.

Paul says that he warns with tears in his eyes. Why?

Because those who oppose truth … are enemies of the Cross.

And not the wooden structure that Jesus died on.

We are talking about Jesus Christ, they are enemies of Jesus.

The sad and brutal truth is that if someone is not in Christ, they are enemies of Christ.

This is painful, because he is saying if you are not saved … you are an enemy of Christ.

This confuses us.

Sure you may be a nice guy.

You may be moral.

You may be friendly.

You may keep your yard clean.

But if Jesus is not your Savior, if you refuse to surrender to Him … you are living as a traitor, as a treasonous rebel.

When we meet someone who’s not a Christian, but who’s really nice, we struggle with the thought that this person, this really nice person could possibly go to Hell.

Because he’s nice to us.

He’s nice to you.

You only see his good side.

But remember, you’re not his judge, you’re not God.

He’s not rebelling against you.

He has no problem with you.

It’s God that he refuses.

Towards the end of my dad’s career in law enforcement, he was in court services, a bailiff more or less.

When he worked on patrol, he had to catch, pursue, and arrest criminals.

He saw the ugly side their crime.

But when he entered into court services it was different.

They were already caught.

They now were on their best behavior.

He didn’t see their ugly side.

They weren’t fighting him … but they were still criminals, and he was aware of that, despite how they were kind to him.

And so with tears in our eyes, we see these people that we love, that we see the good side of, and we know that in their rebellion they live as enemies of God.

Paul has tears in his eyes, because he knows the destination, even though he loves them, “Their end is destruction”.

You can’t remain neutral about Jesus.

You can’t be a nice guy and just not be into Christ.

Because the nicest person who opposes Christ, will still face destruction.

This serves as a warning to us.

Your new citizenship means some things change.

You cannot go back to your old customs anymore.

Imagine moving from England to the United States.

You get off the plane, you rent a car.

You put the keys in the ignition.

If you get on the left side of the road … your stay here will be brief.

If you are going to drive in the US, you get on the right side of the road.

In Christ’s kingdom, your old habits need to die, or you will die.

Second, “their god is their belly”

What is sin?

According to I John, sin is lawlessness.

Sure, sin is rebellion.

But really, sin is rejecting God as Lord, and serving yourself.

Sin is making yourself lord.

The 1st of the Ten Commandments is that you are to have no other gods, and the 2nd is you shall not make any false gods.

Yet, when sin rules in one’s life, we are rejecting God’s rule, and then making a false god out of ourselves.

It’s funny but when you are in the midst of temptation, the temptation seems so big and huge.

It seems as if the temptation has power over you.

But in reality, what is temptation?

It’s not an outside force.

says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

Temptation is your self desiring to be God.

Where Paul says the old citizen’s belly is his god, we are to acknowledge that there is only one God.

If you’ve been baptized, think about what that baptism represented.

Your old self died.

You are a new person in Christ.

In , Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

We fight against temptation by denying ourselves.

Next time you face temptation, think about what is happening.

It’s not the temptation that is so powerful.

It is your own desire, it’s your cravings, it’s your passions.

You are seeking to obey your own desires.

Are you going to obey your quest to be god, or will you surrender to the one true God.

Third, Paul says that those in the world glory in their shame.

Instead of being ashamed of sin, and grieving over it, people become proud of their sin.

They boast in it.

The month of June has been nicknamed Pride Month.

Homosexuality is something that the world celebrates.

Sin is celebrated.

Secular psychology does not try to change behavior, as much as to help people accept their sinful behavior.

Sin is not something to rejoice in.

Instead, think about the cost of sin, think about the cost of your sin.

When Jesus was on the Cross, He was suffering for the sins of His people, He was suffering for your sins.

To celebrate your own sin, or to say it’s something that is good, is to not understand the death that saved you from sin.

Think of Paul earlier in the chapter.

He mentioned all his accomplishments and accolades, and then rejected them.

In fact he called them rubbish for what he gained in Christ.

So we do not glory in our sin.

In fact, we run from it.

If the old man is dead, then we leave that old man in the grave, not wanting to pull it out again.

And fourth, Paul says their minds are set on earthly things.

says to set our minds on things that are above.

That means our hope is on Christ.

We look to Him as our king.

We look to Him as our prize.

But the person who sets his mind on earthly things, does not look to Christ first.

Instead, it’s this life that is first.

His desires.

It’s the person who saw something on TV or on Facebook that said the Bible was wrong, and then doubts biblical truth, because earthly wisdom carries more weight.

Something from this world takes precedence.

says, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

If anything, we are not to be attached to this world.

Because one day it will be unmade.

It’s not meant to last forever.

While we talk about becoming a citizen of Christ’s kingdom, there are certain Benefits of our new Citizenship.

We see our benefits in the final 2 verses of chapter 3.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 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.”

The Philippians were proud to be citizens of Rome.

They were proud of the prestige of being affiliated with the Caesar and Romes customs.

They were proud of the protection Rome offered.

They were proud of their citizenship.

As an American, we have certain privileges that we are proud of as well.

We are able to freely travel throughout the 50 states.

We are able to vote.

We can hold office within our own government.

It is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Citizens get to be a part of a jury.

We forget that a jury summons should be a privilege not a chore.

And within our heavenly kingdom, we also have certain privileges.

First while this world is fleeting, Christ is eternal.

Our true citizenship is in heaven.

It’s in the presence of God.

Next, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the world around us, the return of Jesus is something that is to be feared.

But for us, it’s something that we look forward to.

We live as sojourners, or ambassadors, we live as people just visiting.

I think of the hymn, this world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.

We long for our king to return.

Ever since , Christians have looked forward to the return of Jesus.

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the church at various times.

Then in , He promised the Holy Spirit to come upon the church.

Then as He was talking to them, Acts says that Jesus was lifted up, and disappeared into the sky.

The disciples were left standing there, staring into the sky, when a couple of angels appeared.

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

He’s going to return, just how He left.

And this has been our hope ever since.

Jesus will physically return to this earth.

A third benefit that we have is that Christ will resurrect us.

Verse 21 says that He will “transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body”.

Our bodies are not infinite.

We see the reality of them through our lives.

We start off strong, and as we get older they breakdown.

And then in death they decompose.

The old funerals famously used to say, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

But one day, we will be resurrected.

We will receive new bodies.

And these new bodies will be fit for eternity.

I don’t know exactly what these new bodies will be like.

But we do know these bodies will be like Christ’s.

says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

And here in Philippians, Paul says we will have bodies like His glorious body.

So I don’t know exactly what this new body will be like.

I can’t tell you if you will have Terminator vision, or finally be able to slam dunk.

I can guarantee you though, I won’t have these braces in my mouth.

You won’t have that achey knee.

Your back won’t hurt.

Your diabetes will be gone.

You will have a body fit for eternity.

I don’t know all the details about your new body either.

says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

And here in Philippians, Paul says we will have bodies like His glorious body.

He will transform our bodies for eternity, and we will be completed.

This means, we will no longer struggle with sin.

If says that we are His workmanship, then we know that on this day of Jesus Christ, that workmanship will be completed.

And fourthly, we will be sustained by the power of Christ Jesus.

Never forget Who Jesus is.

He’s more than a teacher.

He’s more than a man who did good deeds.

He’s more than a rabbi.

He’s Lord of Lord.

He’s the Alpha and Omega.

And with His resurrection, He has all authority in heaven and on earth.

And since He has all authority, and since He Himself is eternal, then He will sustain us forever as well.

What a glorious world to look forward too.

Currently, we see nations struggling for control.

We see nations struggling for peace.

This past week saw our own president try and negotiate peace with the dictator of North Korea.

Will it work?

I don’t know.

But the day is coming when Christ, will rule on this earth.

And no more will we wonder if there will be peace on earth.

I think of the words from , something we typically hear at Christmas.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

You’ve heard how to live like a citizen, what a citizen doesn’t look like, and the benefits of a citizen.

I certainly hope you are a citizen.

The day is coming when you must be a part of this kingdom.

You must be a citizen of this kingdom.

If you are not a part of this kingdom … your end is destruction.

And if you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom, then be patriotic about the new kingdom you are in.

Just as on 4th of July you experience a love of country, may we be reminded of our kingdom in heaven.

May you better pursue that kingdom.

Imitate the godly citizens who are more mature than you.

Go to battle against the deceptions of the current kingdoms of the world.

And be comforted by the benefits of our citizenship in heaven.

New bodies.

Eternal life.

A good king.

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