Christians are to be the citizens of heaven on earth
Christians may be residents of any nation of this world, but their first allegiance and identity is they are the eternal citizens of heaven on earth.
This is the express will of God, as written all over the place in the New Testament. It is the entire thrust of what God and the first apostles wanted to see accomplished.
Jesus Christ gave His life in the hope that those who truly love Him would recognize it, go through a series of healthy godly responses, and choose to give their lives in return.
Here is an overview of some of these points. More could be said. May the Lord bless you.
Messsage outline notes – Christians are to be the citizens of heaven on earth
Christianity is more than an ideology. It is God’s answer to sin. It is the establishment of His kingdom in the face of Satan. He needs a people of witness and testimony.
We are accustomed to Christ’s testimony in Himself. But He wants to create a testimony of Himself in us. – This is the glaring omission in most preaching.
You cannot give what you do not have. You cannot teach what you do not know. You are to lead by example. Everyone in the world knows this. But the Christians are blinded. Emperor’s new clothes.
Who cares? We will show by our actions, not words.
God is willing, we may say we are too, but our hearts are shown on whether we really are.
• Life and death depend on it
• Of vital importance
• People today are numbed out
• People today fail to see the whole vision
• We live in conditions God never called for
Assume
• Born again
• As little child
• Surrendered to God’s will
• Hear Jesus’ voice
• Delivered from sin
• Delivered from devils
• Carry cross
• Die to self
• Forsake all
• God-opened eyes
• Good ground
• Cannot be faked
• Separate
• Holy
• Love not the world
Love not the world
1 John 2 – 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
James 4:4 – Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
• Recognize the degree we are indoctrinated by world
• Through-dyed
• Tattooed in our soul
• All our basic responses are from enculturation the kingdom of the world
Non-negotiable expectations by God
John 13:34-35
John 17:20-23
New Covenant –
• Witness, testimony
• One people united
• Not bearing witness against one another
• People today are accustomed to nothing more
Today there is détente – the easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries. Détente, Period of the easing of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979. The era was a time of increased trade and cooperation with the Soviet Union and the signing of the SALT treaties. Relations cooled again with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Reasons for unity
• There is strength in numbers
• There is a multitude of congruent witnesses
• People not hobbled by theologies catering to the flesh, watering message down, grading on a curve, permitting lukewarm or dead Christians to feel all is well
• Stand against satanic kingdom
• Push back darkness
Matt 6:9-13
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
John 18 –
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
Matt 5 – 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works andglorify your Father in heaven.
On becoming a citizen
• Fit for heaven – whole goal of the gospel is to have this result
• God is willing, able, and wants to see it
• Scriptures are replete with this message thrust
• Early church understood this
• It is God’s will.
• Why Jesus came
• Why Father sent Jesus
• Life is on the line. Jesus is only way.
• God wants people to repent and know Him
• Not a life insurance policy
• Not enough to say but to do
• Not an accessory for your lifestyle
• Power of Holy Spirit given to transform us into His likeness –
• Matt 11:11 – “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Stephen Acts 6
• 5. … And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit
• 8 And Stephen, full of [b]faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
• 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
• Jesus paid the price of His life, and wants our lives in return
Romans 12 – 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 [b]reasonable service. 2 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.
Authentic
• Man after God‘s own heart like David
• Knee-jerk reaction
• Scratch and more than skin deep
• Not hypocritical but 100-percent through-dyed
• Like Stephen
• Filled with Holy Spirit
• Gal 5 – commanded we walk in the Spirit
• Power of Holy Spirit
• Deliverance from sin, iniquities
• Deliverance from demons
• Sole dedication
• Meet conditions of discipleship
• Look expectantly to the Lord to do it
Romans 12 – continued
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient[c] in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given[d]to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have[e] regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Submit to Government
13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Love Your Neighbor
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” [b]“You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Put on Christ
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk [c]properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
1 Peter 2 – similar things said
• 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
• 11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims
In theory Gospel is strong enough to take over the world for real – not the sham counterfeit of the Catholic dominance
Matt 5 – Jesus’ heart for His true followers.
