“Dual Citizenship”
(Phil. 3:18-20)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe
November 2, 2008
The election this Tuesday
1. The lasting impact
2. Your responsibility
3. How to pray
Isn’t God in control?
1. Does it matter?
“The sovereignty of God never excuses us from responsibility” (Will Metzger)
Your “Dual Citizenship”
1. Phil. 3:18-20
Issues that matter to me
1. The sanctity of life….both born and unborn
a. The silent holocaust
b. The death of the innocents
2. Under God
1. American “exceptionalism”
2. Laus Deo (Washington Monument)
3. Quotes
3. Israel
Why America “God shed His Grace on thee”
1. Founded on God and his word
a. Columbus
2. Freedom
a. Neil Diamond “They’re coming to America”
3. World missions
4. Jewish people
Role in the return of Christ
1. Since I finished the Book of Revelation…
2. A special “state of prophecy sermon”
3. During the past 12 months
I. Introduction
A. Should be “proud” of citizenship
1. “The man without a country”
a. Philip Nolan
b. Cursed the name of his country
2. Sentenced to live the rest of his life aboard ship
a. 56 years
b. Finally buried at sea
E. Your “true” citizenship?
1. “Heavenly” citizenship
2. yet…living in a foreign land
3. Sometimes “hostile” land
II. Text….Phil. 3:18-20
A. The contrast…..v.18-19
(18) For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. (19) Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
1. The enemies of the cross of Christ
B. The true citizens…..v.20
(20) But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (21) 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.
1. Simple statement of fact
a. You are a citizen of Heaven
2. “From which”
a. We eagerly wait for the Savior”
b. Present abode of Jesus
C. Brings all kinds of ramifications
1. Many advantages
2. Tremendous accountability
3. Target of attack
4. How to act like a citizen
a. The prior section…..chapter 1
· an ambassador in chains
b. “Act like one!”
5. The price you will pay
a. Difficult to live in a hostile land
D. Important issue to people of Philippi
Barclay: Philippi was a Roman colony. Here and there at strategic military centers the Romans set down their colonies. In such places the citizens were mostly soldiers who had served their time—twenty-one years—and who had been rewarded with full citizenship. The great characteristic of these colonies was that, wherever they were, they remained fragments of Rome. Roman dress was worn; Roman magistrates governed; the Latin tongue was spoken; Roman justice was administered; Roman morals were observed. Even in the ends of the earth they remained unshakably Roman. Paul says to the Philippians, “Just as the Roman colonists never forget that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven; and your conduct must match your citizenship.”
E. Advantages of heavenly citizenship
1. Your name is registered
a. Getting into modern office buildings
1. Name registered at front desk
b. Getting into Heaven
1. Name registered at the front gate
2. Written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 20:15)
c. I’ll be admitted into Heaven!
1. Returning to the USA—special line
2. You have hope
a. Christ is returning
1. To claim all of Heaven’s citizens
2. All Christians
b. The next return…
1. Judgment on aliens
2. All non-citizens
3. You are protected
a. Hands off U.S. citizens
1. Carry the weight of the U.S. military with you
2. U.S. Embassies in every land
· To protect U.S. citizens
b. Paul—Roman citizen
1. Protected from injustice
2. Others feared
c. Hands off “Heaven’s” citizens!
1. Limited testing
2. Only as God deems beneficial
d. You carry a seal
1. The Holy Spirit
2. Satan knows where the citizens live
F. Citizenship has…
1. Advantages
2. Accountability
a. We are under Heaven’s Laws
1. The case of Philippi
· Located in Greece
· But under Roman law
2. The question of Christians with “joint citizenship”
3. Respect the laws of this life
· Unless they violate “The Higher Law”
4. Paul was only a “pilgrim and a stranger” here
b. Heaven’s laws are recorded in the Bible
1. Don’t break them
2. Responsible to know what they are
3. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse”
4. Citizens are personally responsible to know the law
3. Ambassadors
a. We’d better live like citizens of Heaven
1. People are watching
2. Want to know what citizens are like
b. Sending a U.S. ambassador
1. The book: The Ugly American
· Shocking
· Poor representative
--Loud
--Uninformed
--Rude
· People hated Americans because of the Ambassador
· The enemy gained tremendous advantage
2. You are an ambassador
· Of heaven
· God’s representative
--You speak for Him
--You represent Him
--People scrutinize your every move
· Don’t misrepresent Him
· Be Christ-like
· Purpose of this whole section
c. We are eagerly awaiting His return
1. The King’s return
2. Visit to foreign land
d. Talk about motivation
1. If you were an ambassador---
a. Had never been visited by the President
b. Heard he was going to make a surprise visit
· WOW!
c. Be ready at all times!
· Not out fishing
· Embassy spotless
2. Await the Lord’s return
a. Don’t know when
b. Told to be ready
· Life is in order
· Reach souls while you can
· Before it is too late
c. Know you can rescue them
· Take them with you
· To heaven
d. Give it away—while you can!
· How?
· “By acting like a heavenly citizen”
G. Heavenly Citizenship brings…
1. Advantages
2. Accountability
3. Ambassadorship
4. Attack
a. Examples of embassies
1. Kuwait
2. Iran
3. Embassy in Lebanon
b. Attempts to spy
1. New embassy in USSR
· Couldn’t be used
· Too many “bugs”
c. A piece of the USA in a foreign land
1. “Diplomatic immunity”
2. Sovereign soil
· Embassy row in Washington DC
· Fly their flag!
d. Always face some form of attack
1. outright assault
2. or….infiltration
e. The Church / Christians
1. Foreigners
· On hostile soil
2. This building is an embassy
· Filled with ambassadors
f. Paul’s constant warnings…..v.18-19
1. Beware of infiltrators
2. Phil. 4:1-2
· Names two of them
· Had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Paul
3. (Acts 20:29-31)—“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”
g. If Paul couldn’t keep them out—
1. Why I preach on it so often?
H. The Complication of Heavenly Citizenship
1. Advantages
2. Accountability
3. Ambassador
4. Attack
5. Advantages
a. While on earth
b. But wait until you get home!