“Thankful for the invisible”
Philippians 3:20-21
I want this message to answer this QUESTION:
How can I be thankful when everything seems to be falling apart?
How can you and I be thankful about things in the world:
? With what is happening in Ukraine?
? about Israel?
? about the economy?
? About the collapse of the family?
? about the moral bankruptcy of society?
? about the apathy in the hearts of Christians?
How can I be thankful?
- when there is sickness in my family
- when prices keep going up and my income doesn’t
- when I am discouraged
- when my health is failing…
- when my marriage is on the rocks
- when I am depressed and anxious…
If you ever feel this way, you are not alone….
Perspective is everything:
? The Apostle Paul wrote the book Philippians at a time
? when he was suffering in prison, when he was weary and
? wondered if he might soon lose his life for Christ.
Hear what Pauls says…in the midst of affliction…
“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.”
Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)
The Bible teaches us:
- that we need to have a unique perspective
- a perspective higher and longer than the world
- to see things in the light of eternity
We need aim our lives toward the eternal:
o and see all that is ahead of us and
o in store for us.
o To invest in God’s eternal Kingdom…
Jeremy Camp sings a song I love called:
“There will be a day”
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place,
Will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
There will be a day, He'll wipe away the tears,
He'll wipe away the tears, He'll wipe away the tears
We must not be distracted:
? by the physical distractions of the world
? that have no eternal value…
? and earthly treasures that will soon be burned up.
We can place our hopes in our finances:
- but finances cannot fix everything
- even the rich can go bankrupt quickly
- money often fails us
We can place our hope in good health:
- Good health one day is no guarantee of continued health
- loved ones can be taken from us
- life is such that if Jesus does not return
- that no of us will leave this world alive….
- health fails
We can place our hopes in the people around us:
- people we trust, love and sacrifice
- may fail us, pass on or betray us.
- People fail.
That is why the God tells us:
- don’t invest yourself too heavily in this world
- look to Jesus your savior
- be passionate about the return of Christ!
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
Philippians 3:20
The definition of eager is:
- marked by enthusiastic
- or impatient desire or interest
Children get eager for things:
- Christmas, birthdays,
- trick or treating, an
- ice cream cone
They are eager for things they expect to be amazing:
- do we have that kind of energy for eternal things?
What are you eagerly awaiting?
- a concert or meal?
- a date with someone?
A mark of maturity:
- is when we turn our attention from this world
- and put our time talents and treasures
- to work for God’s kingdom….
Today’s main text is from Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV):
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we (eagerly) await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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.”
WHAT WE NEED IS A NEW PERSPECTIVE…
- TO SEE THINGS AS FROM ETERNITY’S VIEWPOINT…
Describe Alisyn in truck:
- 3 years old
- always rode in the car seat in the back seat of the family car
- but she loved
Alisyn when she was little:
- like to to ride in my rusty, small old Ford Courier truck
- because she could see better!
o Upfront, facing forward and look out all the windows…
- She could see what she was missing.
A change of perspective can transform your world?
What is your perspective?
- earthly or heavenly?
- temporal or eternal?
- the disappointments of earth or the rewards of heaven?
I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TODAY Long for heaven…
New Testament writers wrote this about HEAVEN
They ancients were
“Longing for a better country - a heavenly one..”
- Hebrews 11:16
“Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,”
- 2 Corinthians 5:2
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
- Colossians 3:1-2
We have reasons TO BE Thankful for things we can’t see and touch…
Christians need to be…...
1. Thankful for our CITIZENSHIP in HEAVEN
The hymn reminds us:
“This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through…If heavens not my home, then Lord what will I do??”
Christians have a NEW and BETTER Citizenship:
We have been Delivered:
“For He 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.”
- Colossians 1:13, 14
I am thankful that I am Citizen of heaven, and longer a SLAVE TO SIN!!!
Christians MUST be…...
2. Thankful for Jesus our SAVIOR
WE all have this in common:
- without Jesus saving us
- we would still be dead in our sin
- doomed to Hell and without hope.
Jesus is:
- the way the truth and the life
- no one comes to the Father
- except through HIM
Jesus came once:
- lived and died a sinless life
- paying for the sin of the world
- by dying on the cross…
When Jesus returns:
- He is coming to take us home
- to be with Him in heaven
Raise your hand if you are thankful that Jesus is your SAVIOR!
Philippians 3:20b
“And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
Don’t let cheap Black Fridays be all you are Thankful for!
We know and have confidence:
o We have a place in heaven,
o We have a home in heaven.
o We have a crowd of other Christians in heaven
o We have our savior in heaven.
There will be no:
- lying
- crying or
- dying in heaven…
“Let us ...draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need”
-Hebrews 4:16
For the Christian:
? dying isn’t the HARD PART,
? LIVING IS THE HARD PART..
? Death is brings us to heavens door.
Paul says,
“My goal is my eternal reward.”
- We’re going to get new bodies someday.
- No more wrinkles.
- Nor more aches.
- No more pains.
- No surgery required.
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we (eagerly) await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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.”
Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV)
Christians WILL be…...
3. Thankful for the Power of TRANSFORMATION
Did anyone see the movie “The Green Mile” (1999)?
- do not go watch that movie
- and follow it as an example for anything
- however there was a timely quote
The Larger-than-life character “John Coffey”:
- played by Michael Clarke Duncan
- said what I feel sometimes
“I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other.”
Have you ever felt that way?
- if so, I want to challenge you
- not to see life in despair,
- but from that place, think of heaven
- and remember that the best is yet to come!
Listen to Revelation describe heaven!
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Revelation 21:1-7 (ESV)
The problem is:
- on our own we cannot enter heaven
- our sin prevents us from that reward
- we need the sacrifice of Jesus to take away our sins.
It is Jesus who can transform us!!!
God is in the transformation business:
- He transformed nothing into the world
- He transformed Adam from the dirt and Eve from a rib
- He transformed the cross from weapon of execution to sign of salvation
It is through Christ that we have:
- a new life
- a new hope
- forgiveness of sin
- the gift of the Holy Spirit
- peace with God and so much more!
But I am thankful for one more thing…
- and I think the older we get
- and hours of our life pass through the hourglass of time..
God is going to give us a New Body:
- some of us here have a lot of miles on our bodies
- and a lot of times not getting worse is the best we can hope for
- but these bodies were never intended to be a permanent home for us!
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.”
2 Corinthians 5:1-3 (NIV)
A tourist visited a rabbi.
Astonished to see that:
o the rabbi’s home was only a simple room
o filled with books,
o plus a table and a bench,
The tourist asked, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?"
o "Where is yours?" replied the rabbi.
o "Mine?" asked the puzzled American.
o "But I’m a visitor here. I’m only passing through."
"So am I," said the Rabbi
Life here is brief:
- and we are all just passing through
- but where are you going next?
- where is your final destination?
Not everyone is going to the same place:
- you can choose heaven or hell
- and God will honor your choice
- choose well
I don’t want to give you false hope…
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
Without salvation through Jesus :
- there is not a single word of HOPE…
- This is the best it’s ever going to get
- This is the closest you are ever going to be to heaven.
I am thankful that Jesus paid my debt of sin:
- had He paid yours?
- Have you accepted Jesus’ offer of salvation?
- one day it will be too late…
- but right now there is still time to Make Jesus Lord of your life!
Credit: I found this in my files and edited it. If your work is in here, let me know and I'll give you credit. I changed it around greatly, so I think most of it is original. The outline might belong to someone else?
