Monday, November 17, 2014

Awake, O Zion! You Will Be Redeemed! (A sermon based on Isaiah 52:1-6)

"Wake up!" That's not always nice to hear when you're tired and comfortable, but sometimes it's necessary to hear. Other times, it's exciting to wake up to good news. Isaiah calls us to "Wake up!" and see what God has in store for us! One day soon we will join the Saints Triumphant! Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Isaiah 52:1-6 and be encouraged to wake up! 

Awake, O Zion! You Will Be Redeemed!

A sermon based on Isaiah 52:1-6

Sunday, November 16, 2014 – Saints Triumphant A

 

"Wake up! Wake up! It's time to go!"

"Arrrgggh! I don't want to get up yet! Just 5 more minutes!"

"Wake up! School starts in less than an hour and you still need to get dressed and eat breakfast!"

"But I don't want to go to school today. The kids are mean to me. The teachers don't like me. Just call the school and tell them I'm sick."

"No! Wake up! You have to go to school today!"

"I don't want to! Why do I have to?!"

"Because, you're the principal! And besides it's your turn to get our kids ready and let me sleep in. Now wake up!"

 

"Wake up!" isn't always fun to hear is it, when you're tired and groggy and would rather just sleep for a few more hours before you had to face the day. But let's change the scenario a bit…

"Wake up! We're ready to leave for that all-expense paid cruise in the Bahamas. We don't want to miss our flight."

"Wake up! I brought you breakfast in bed and then I want you to open the presents I got you!"

"Wake up! You just got a phone call. Some lawyer says you just inherited millions from some distant relative you've never met!"

 

"Wake up!" might be a good theme for the book of Isaiah. The first half of his book is full of warnings of God's law. "Wake up! Repent of your sin! God is sending an enemy nation to punish us!" "Wake up! Turn to God and return to him or you will be destroyed!"

But the second half of his book is full of comfort to God's people! "Wake up! And see what God is doing on your behalf! Wake up and see how God will save you! Wake up! Get ready! God's salvation is coming soon!

This morning, as we celebrate the Saints Triumphant—rejoicing in those believers who have kept their faith until death and have won the final victory—we hear Isaiah encourage us to wake up and get ready for that day when we join them, because we know that we will be redeemed!

Our lesson from Isaiah 52:1-6…

 

Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. 2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

3 For this is what the Lord says: "You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed."

4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: "At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the Lord. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock," declares the Lord. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I." 


I.              The Lord Saves From Sin 

Zion is another name for God's people. Zion is literally the hill on which the temple stood. But when someone says, "Washington is raising our taxes again," you know they don't mean the city, but the people in the city, particularly the politicians who live and work there. Likewise, the term "Zion" came to mean those believers who worshiped the true God at the temple on Mount Zion.

And it is to these believers that Isaiah cried, "Wake up!" "Awake, awake, O Zion!" What were they to wake up for? Well, previously Isaiah had told them to wake up and get ready for the judgment that God would bring.

But now he says, "Awake, awake, O Zion," in a different sense. Here he reveals the next chapter in Israel's history. After the consequences of their sin, God had something better in store. They would wake up to a brand new day!

 Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. 2 Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

Though they once sat captive, they would be freed! Though they once were weak, they would be clothed with strength. Though they once were naked, they would be clothed with "garments of splendor!" Though they once were knocked down, they would rise up and be seated on a throne!

And you know that this is more than just the Exodus from Egypt, the rescue from the Assyrians, or the return from the Babylonian captivity that Isaiah describes in these verses. You know what he really means when he writes, "without money you will be redeemed."

Sure, God's people were set free from their physical captors without a ransom price, but by God's might and strength alone. Sure they were free from their physical oppressors without having to pay anything to God, but by his grace and mercy alone. We can't help but think of the Exodus, how God sent an angel to slaughter 185,000 Assyrians in one night, how Cyrus would send God's people home from captivity in Babylon.

But you also know how God dealt with those believers in Zion who put their trust in the coming Messiah for deliverance from their spiritual enemies: from the sin that landed them in captivity in the first place, from satan who held them in real slavery, from eternal death—forever separated from God. You know that it was without money, but with God's might and strength—accomplished by his Messiah—that he set them free. You know that they paid nothing for that salvation, but it was entirely by God's grace.

Like a dad walking into a room where his child is getting bullied, God said, "Now what do I have here?" and acted to save them from the bullying of sin, death, and satan.

"And now what do I have here?" declares the Lord. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock," declares the Lord. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I."

So even as they faced their daily struggles God's people didn't lose heart, but could shake off their gloom and despair, like shaking off their sleep and waking up. They knew the Messiah was coming soon. They knew the redemption that he would bring "in that day." And so they could wake up to a brand new day every day, with this confession on their lips: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning…" (Lamentations 3:22-23a)

And dear friends, so can we! 

Now even though you and I don't worship at the temple and even though you may have never been to Mount Zion, you and I do worship the same God that was worshiped there. So really, the title Zion, refers to you and me too! It refers to all who believe in the true God who was worshiped on Mount Zion.

And let's face it. We too need to "Wake up!" sometimes. Too often we get drowsy as we wait for God to fulfill his promises. We run out of energy in serving him and want to just fall back into the comfortable sleep of apathy and self-indulgence of laziness and mind-numbing entertainment. "Wake up!" isn't always fun to hear when you're tired and comfortable in your warm bed. "Wake up!" isn't always fun to hear when you're comfortable in your sin. But we need to wake up!

Or sometimes, when we've had someone wake us up to see our sins and have had our failures laid out in front of us. We get drowsy in despair. We get tired, thinking that this time we've gone too far. This time we've slept in too long. We think, "God's grace can't be for me!" But we need to wake up and see what God has done!

God has fulfilled his promises for you and me: "Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I."  And the Holy Spirit working through the Word and through the Word connected to the water of Baptism, he has revealed his name to you—that is, he has revealed his reputation, he has revealed what he's foretold, and for you and I, he has revealed how he has fulfilled what he foretold. In this day, we know that it is God—who foretold it—and God who fulfilled it. We know that, "without money [we have been] redeemed."

It's in the very next chapter that Isaiah wrote, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

We know who Christ is and we know what he has done! We know of his perfect, sinless life. We know of his innocent death in our place "in that day"—in Good Friday! We know how "He has redeemed [us], …lost and condemned creature[s], purchased and won [us] from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death."

And we know what this means for us today! It means that we wake up to a brand new day every day, with this confession on our lips: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning…" (Lamentations 3:22-23a)

Because, dear Zion, even though you once were covered in the filth of your sin, you have now been clothed with garments of splendor—with Christ's robe of righteousness. Even though you were once enslaved to sin and to satan, you have been set free! Even though you were once weak and helpless, you've been clothed with strength. And even though we once sat in the dust of despair, we know that we will rise up and sit on a heavenly throne. We know that one day soon we will wake up in a totally different way…

II.            The Lord Saves For Glory 

God through Isaiah prophesied that, "The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again." And yet, you know that the temple has been destroyed. In 70 AD the Romans leveled it. And today, the Dome of the Rock sits atop Mount Zion. The uncircumcised and defiled have entered Jerusalem.

But God meant something more than just the physical land. And I believe he meant something more than just the deliverance from sin and satan that he would bring about on Good Friday. "That day" in verse 6 may be a reference to Judgment Day—that day when we are proved right in putting our trust in him, that day when all who have mocked us and all who have blasphemed him will be forced to bend the knee and confess Jesus is Lord. (cf. Philippians 2:10-11)

You know that we don't just have salvation from our slavery to sin and satan, but we also have salvation for eternity. We will be with him in glory "in that day!"

There are many saints who have gone before us and died in the faith. But after death, they woke up! They woke up to a glorious place! They woke up to heaven! They woke up to be with Jesus face-to-face! And while we rejoice for their victory, we also get excited to join them there and wake up in glory!

Buck Crouse must have been in his mid-eighties when I knew him. And he was a predictable guy. Every Sunday he'd be in worship. Every Wednesday night he'd be in Bible Class. And every Friday he'd come in to fold the bulletins. And every time I'd ask him, "How are you today, Buck?" the answer was the same:

"Well, every day I wake up this side of the ground is good day! But then again, that day that I wake up on the other side… Oh, that day will be soooo much better!" Buck lived with that eager excitement to wake up with Jesus. And so do we!

But what about now? What about the time we have left here while we wait for that glorious day of our full redemption? Well, we wake up! "Awake, awake, O Zion!"

"Free yourself from the chains on your neck!"

If you had a big ball and chain attached to each ankle and someone came with the key to set you free, would you pick up the ball and chain and keep carrying them around? Not likely! You'd be glad if you never saw those burdens that once weighed you down ever again! In the same way, toss off the guilt and the shame of your sin! It's been forgiven! You've been set free! Don't carry around the burden that you've already given to Jesus!

"Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem."

Remember who you are, dear saints! You are Zion! You are Jerusalem! You are God's people! You are royalty—sons and daughters of the King! That title comes with power! It comes with opportunities to serve on your Father's throne!

"Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength."

"Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power!" (Ephesians 6:10) "[Serve]," God and one another in thanks to him, "with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 4:11)

Wake up, dear saints! Wake up to serve God with the strength he gives, just like Buck Crouse did, until "that day" when he calls you, O Zion, the still struggling saints, to be the Saints Triumphant! Stay alert and awake as you serve him each day until you wake up with him in glory! In his name, dear friends, amen.

 

And, "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." (2 Thessalonians 2:17) Amen.

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The Ancient of Days Takes His Seat (A sermon based on Daniel 7:9-10)

"Don't judge me!" You may hear that expression often because we don't like to be judged by others. And we may not like the idea of being judged by God when we consider all of our sins. But every one of us will stand before his judgment seat on the last day and God, the Ancient of Days, will make a ruling that will determine where we spend eternity. But thanks to Jesus, we don't fear that day because we know what verdict he will give: Not guilty! Through Jesus life and death our sins have been paid. Through his resurrection we have the guarantee. We can't be found guilty for the crimes Jesus already paid for. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon based on Daniel 7:9-10 and rejoice that we can look forward to the day when...


The Ancient of Days Takes His Seat

A sermon based on Daniel 7:9-10

Sunday, November 9, 2014 – Last Judgment A

 

Last year was the first time I that I was called in to be a potential juror. And while I was sitting in one of those 12 seats (before I got dismissed), I'll admit that I thought it was a little nerve racking.

We all stood as the honorable judge came into the room. And only after he had been seated could we all sit down. That was significant. He was the one in charge. He would oversee the trial and help determine the results of the case.

But even though he had the title "Judge," it was really the jurors who would judge the case. And maybe that's why I was so nervous. Here a man's fate would be determined. The accused man could be sentenced to many years in prison—obviously a life-altering fate—or he could be set free. And his fate rested in the decision of those 12 jurors who would judge his case.

If I felt nervous, I could only imagine how the man on trial must have felt.

And I can only imagine how Daniel must have felt, when he saw The Judge. The prophet Daniel, the same guy who spent the night in the lion's den, was now an old man and saw some cool visions—of a winged lion and a hungry bear, of a four-headed leopard and a ten-horned, iron-toothed monster. But then, after all these beasts, he saw… God. He saw The Judge, the Ancient of Days, sitting down to judge the world on its last day. Here's how he described for us what he saw in Daniel 7:9-10…

 

9 "As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.


I.              The Judge

 

"That's… awesome!!!" Ever think about that word, awesome? We overuse it and so it's pretty much lost its meaning. But it literally means that something inspires awe in those who behold it.

I think of scenes in the movies. Disney does it well. Ursula, the evil sea witch in the Little Mermaid grows to a massive size to fill scene and fill the screen. Jafar, the evil wizard out to get Aladdin, fills the desert with his magnificent size. Universal does it well too. The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park bare their teeth and roar and the theater shakes with the bass. Godzilla rises up out of the ocean and breaths fire in an awesome display of power.

When something is truly awesome, it is a wonderful but terrible vision. And what Daniel saw was truly awesome. Though it was a dream instead of a movie, he saw an impressive display of power, meant to inspire fear and awe. In fact, he admitted, "I… was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me… I… was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale." (Daniel 7:15,28)

What had him so troubled? Well the monsters he saw to be sure, but even more was the finale of the dream where he saw God. He saw a truly impressive display of his power and might that inspired fear and awe. It was truly awesome.

First, he saw "the Ancient of Days." Now this title, only used in this chapter of the Bible, is in contrast to all the other rulers and kingdoms of the world. Unlike Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, or Rome, those nations depicted as monsters in Daniel's vision, God's rule never changes hands. He is eternal and changeless and always in control.

But look at how this judge appeared! "His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool." His white clothes and hair picture his purity, with no sin or mistakes of his own. This was not a judge that understood "boys will be boys" or who would give time off for good behavior. He is perfectly righteous and demands the same. He is eternal and changeless. And what he demands has never changed: Be holy because God is holy. (cf. Leviticus 11:44) Be perfect as God is perfect. (cf. Matthew 5:48)

"His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him." The fire on his throne and the river of lava flowing at his feet are, of course, a picture of judgment and destruction. Like the fires of Mount Doom that alone could destroy Frodo's ring of power, this fire can destroy anything or anyone.

And the wheels on his throne show that his judgment isn't restricted to one location like the judge in Kenai, but he's on the move. His judgment goes everywhere. He judges all people. And some have suggested the wheels suggest a war chariot with the subtle message, "He's coming to get you!"

And Daniel saw that, "The court was seated, and the books were opened." The Judge opened the books that had recorded in them the evidence against the accused. John wrote in Revelation, "The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." (Revelation 20:12)

 

What an awesome vision! What an awesome judge! He truly does inspire awe in this wonderful, terrible vision! Especially when we consider our sin. I have not been perfect. I have not always been loving. I have not lived each day ready for that Day when I am called before the Ancient of Days. So this vision not only impresses, but frightens the sinner who has rebelled against the holy Judge. It terrifies the guilty conscience. And it should. Jesus told us to "be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

And this wonderful, terrible, awesome vision leads us to cry out, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" It makes us plead before the Judge, "Please, don't treat us as our sins deserve! Don't repay us according to our iniquities! Don't cast us away from your presence into the hell we deserve!" For we know that one day soon we will stand before the Judge and "The court [will be] seated, and the books [will be] opened."


II.            The Judgment

 

"Do you fear… death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished?" That's what Davy Jones (of "Davy Jones' Locker") asked the Pirates of the Caribbean who were looking to postpone that Day of Judgment.

And yet, even though the picture of this righteous judge leads us to plead for God's mercy, when asked, "Do you fear… death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare, all your sins punished?" you and I can honestly say, "No. I don't fear that Day of Judgment." In fact, we look forward to it.

Why? How?! How can we look forward to being judged when we know we have sinned? Because we know the judgment that the Judge will give. We know his verdict. We know that he will judge us not guilty. We know because of another book on which the Judge will base his decisions. Verse 10 says the books (plural) were opened.

One book has recorded all the deeds of all mankind. But there's another book. John wrote in Revelation 20(:12), "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life." (cf. also Exodus 32:32 and Psalm 69:28).

What is the book of life? It's not an ancient Egyptian book bound in gold with magical incantations that deliver from death. It's God's record of those who are spared from his wrath on the Day of Judgment.

How could these two books exist side by side? One that records our sinful deeds and one that records our salvation? Well, we only need to look a few verses ahead in Daniel's vision to see the answer.

Verses 13 and 14 of Daniel 7 read: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

And, of course, you recognize who this one, like a son of man, is. Jesus often used the title, Son of Man, as a way to describe himself. The Pharisees didn't like that he called himself the Son of God, so in a sense he said, "Fine. I'll call myself the Son of Man," in a no-so-veiled reference to Daniel 7.

In fact, at his trial before Caiaphas…

The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God."

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:63-64)

And you know what happened to the Son of Man after that trial. He took a look into the books of the Judge and he took the credit for every sin, for every rebellion, for every mistake that we have ever made. And he faced, "the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) And he endured, "that dark abyss… [where] all [our] deeds [were] laid bare, all [our] sins [were] punished."

And then he wrote in those books his perfect score under our name. It's like two students taking a test. The one fails miserably. The other aces it. But then the second student takes both tests, erases both names and writes the opposite in.

So he who aced life got damnation on the cross. And we who have failed miserably and deserve damnation at the final judgment get heaven instead.

That is the final judgment of the Judge. So we're not afraid of that day when we stand before the Judge and, "the court [will be] seated, and the books [will be] opened." We know it will be our day of deliverance. And we know it will be… awesome!

And that's really what God meant in giving that vision to Daniel: He meant it to be a message of comfort and hope since that Day will be a day of victory for God and for his people. A day when, "the beast [is] slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire." That's Daniel 7:11. It will be a day when every authority that sets itself up against God, when every monster, is finally destroyed. How awesome that day will be!

And so we rejoice… right now! Even as politicians engage in debates, as elections rage on, as governors and senators and presidents come and go, as earthly kingdoms rise and fall, we rejoice, because we know that God—the Ancient of Days—is still in control and will have the final word. We rejoice, even as evil spreads and miscarriages of justice take place every day, because we know that justice will finally come! We rejoice, leaving our works and our efforts behind, knowing that they will do us no good in the Final Judgment, but trusting entirely in the Son of Man who gives us a clean record before the Judge of all mankind.

And as we look forward to that awesome Day when we stand before the judgment seat of God, we serve him now, in a constant state of readiness, listening to his Word, growing in our faith, trusting in his promises that keep us ready to meet the Judge. For we know that our names are written in the Book of Life. We're ready to meet the Ancient of Days. And we're eager to live for him now until that Day! In the name of Jesus, the Son of Man, we have this confidence. We have this joy. Amen!


In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611

Listen to sermons online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Podcast
Watch services online: www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/Webcast

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

When You Suffer, Press On (A sermon based on Philippians 3:12-21)

What do you do when you suffer? Do you give in and throw in the towel? No! When the going gets tough... well, we rely on God and his strength. We rejoice that our eternal victory is already won for us! Then certain of our eternity, we toughen up and get going. We keep pressing on to grow in our faith, to mature in our Christianity, and to do all we can to make sure we obtain the eternal prize that Jesus won for us. Read or listen to (download or stream) this sermon (or watch the entire service at www.GraceLutheranKenai.com/webcast) based on Philippians 3:12-21 and be encouraged to press on!

When You Suffer, Press On
A sermon based on Philippians 3:12-21
Sunday, November 2, 2014 – Pentecost 20A

He sat in a cold, dark prison, chilled to the bone, by the wet and musty air. It smelled of mildew and rot. He was chained around both ankles and both wrists. Though the shackles didn't break the skin yet, they felt like they might any minute. The rest of his body ached all over too from the vicious beating he'd received earlier that day. He hadn't eaten in days and what he was given last was so full of mold and bugs it made him sick to look at, let alone to eat. Though he was hurting and scared, imprisoned like this in a country not his own, he didn't give up hope. He was an American citizen. And he knew American's did not abandon their own. Surely they would come for him. So he pressed on…
Now, you and I aren't prisoners of an enemy country, but in a certain sense we are in the same situation. While we may not be chained or starved we do face problems and struggles of our own in this sin-filled life. We hear the threats of a collapsing economy and wonder about our savings and investments. We feel the effects of collapsing relationships and hurt worse than if we'd been physically beaten. We see the world collapsing around us and start to despair.
But we have a different hope than that prisoner because our citizenship is in heaven. We have a better hope because we don't think that maybe possibly we might be rescued from our suffering. Instead we know that we will be delivered from all the effects of sin when our Savior takes us to our heavenly home. And so we don't give up.  When we suffer, we too press on. Listen to the words that Paul wrote from prison encouraging us to press on toward maturity and to press on toward eternity. Philippians 3:12-21…

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 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. 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.

I.              Certain of Eternity

The city of Philippi was a Roman colony known as a Rome away from Rome. As such, most of its inhabitants were Roman citizens, a privilege that was highly prized by all who had it. Roman citizens could hold office, could appeal to Roman courts, and had protection anywhere they went in the empire, even if they weren't in Rome itself.
But we have a much better citizenship. Our citizenship is in heaven. Can you imagine if someone said "I don't care about my US citizenship and all the benefits it gives. I don't want it." Can you imagine if someone were to say, "I don't care about my heavenly citizenship. I don't want it."
The sad truth is that many do. Paul said, "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."
The sad truth is that often we who have this heavenly citizenship often live as if we did not. We often live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Don't believe me? Let me ask you a few probing questions: Can you say to your friends, "Follow my example and live like I do," the way Paul does? Or would you be embarrassed if they knew all the things that you do? Or which upsets you more? Missing your favorite TV show or a big game? Or missing Bible class? Which is a larger line item in your budget? Entertainment? Or offerings? Which concerns you more? The Dow Jones dropping a couple hundred points? Or hundreds of people dropping off without knowing the gospel?
You see, we too all too often have our minds stuck on earthly things. We too make gods of our stomachs and worry more about appeasing our sinful natures and their appetites than serving our God. And we too glory in things of which we ought to be ashamed. And for these times that we act like enemies of the cross we deserve to be rejected by Jesus and be banished from his heavenly kingdom with eternal destruction as our only destiny.
But that's not what happens, is it? We don't get what we deserve. Why not? Because like he did for the apostle Paul, "Christ Jesus took hold of [us]…" He died for us. And made us his own. He made us citizens of his kingdom. Paul says with all confidence: "Our citizenship is in heaven." And just think of all the blessings we enjoy as such! As members of God's kingdom, we live under his protection anywhere we go. We can appeal directly to him in prayer with any need we might have. And we can even hold an office—serving as his ambassadors. What privileges we have as citizens of heaven!
And what did we do to get these privileges? Nothing at all! My boys love going to the library to pick out new books to read. And what does it cost them? Nothing at all! The government buys the books that are lent to them for free. They pave and repair the roads that lead there. And Becky and I even pay the taxes it cost for them to enjoy such benefits. And we pay for the vehicle and the gas to get them there. Our children don't pay a cent.
And like children who receive all the benefits of the government without paying a thing, since their parents pay for them, we receive all the blessings of our heavenly citizenship because Jesus paid the price for us. Jesus lived a perfect sinless life, on our behalf. His stomach was never his god, nor anything else. He served the true God perfectly all the time. His glory was in doing the Fathers will. His mind was always on heavenly things. And that perfection he gave to us, taking our sins of selfishness, gluttony and greed on himself. And suffering hell on the cross, he paid the price for us to become citizens of heaven. He saved us from the eternal destruction that was our destiny. No wonder we call him Savior!
And we eagerly look to him and await his coming when he returns from heaven to make our lowly earthly bodies, like his glorious heavenly body. We eagerly await that day that he takes us to heaven, our true home, to be with him forever!

II.            Press On Toward Maturity

But in the meantime, we don't treat this foreign land, in which we're but strangers, as a waiting room. Instead, it's a gym where we get a spiritual work out to grow stronger in our faith. It's a place where we can exercise that faith in the way we live our lives.
Even though Paul knew he had the heavenly prize he said he would struggle hard to make sure he obtained it. He would press on toward maturity. He said, "12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
If the apostle Paul said he hadn't yet attained the full measure of maturity that he was working toward, how can any of us claim to have arrived? We will never be fully mature in our Christian faith this side of heaven. We will never be done learning the Word of God or done thanking him by our acts of service. So if we can't ever be perfect, why bother trying? In thanks to Jesus, and to make sure we claim the prize won for us.
Imagine if you won the lottery, but had to go down town to claim your winnings. What if someone said, "Nah! Forget it then. That's too much of an effort." How ridiculous! Christ won the prize of heaven for us. But now we "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of [us]…" we "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus." Your faith is either growing or it's dying; there is no staying the same. So we do all we can to make sure that's it's growing to make sure that we claim that prize. 
How do we do that? First, we forget what's behind. Forget the earthly pursuits you once chased after—the bigger bank accounts, the newest clothes or gadgets, the earthly glory—and forget your sins. They've all been removed, erased, gone! And "Forgetting what is behind… [strain] toward what is ahead…" The picture Paul paints here is stretching out as far as you can, leaning forward, to reach what's just beyond your grasp. That's how we strive toward a greater understanding of the Word and a greater maturity in our faith. We press on with endurance in this race of life, pushing hard to stay ahead.
One way Paul says that could be done was to follow his example. Sound arrogant? It's not. Paul admitted he wasn't perfect. But he did follow Christ's example as he pressed on toward a greater maturity. Follow the example of godly men and women who are committed to being in the Word and to growing in their faith. Surround yourself by good Christian influences. (That's one of the key purposes of our fellowship activities, by the way, to foster such friendships.) And let them help you to forget what's behind and press on toward what is ahead.
And we all need that help especially when we're suffering and in pain. We need help to keep our focus on the cross, to fix our gaze heavenward as we eagerly await the return of our Savior from there. And then the suffering and pain we experience in this life, won't stand in the way of our maturity, but will help it along.
When you stub your toe, you'll be reminded that there will be no pain in heaven and rejoice that you'll never experience the pain of hell. When you're your heart is broken, you'll remember that there are no tears in glory and you'll rejoice that your Savior will never disappoint. When you lose your job or your wealth, when you feel depressed or things don't go your way, you'll be able to press on, because you'll know that you already have the prize in Christ and will soon be wealthy and happy beyond imagination. And you'll press on to take hold of it.
You know, when you watch a movie you usually know that no matter what happens to the hero, no matter how bleak the situation may seem, somehow, before the credits roll, he'll win. He'll prevail in the end. While we get no such guarantee in this life, we know that though Christ we will prevail in the end. After the credits of this earthly life roll, through Christ and his work for us, we will win in death. Because our citizenship is in heaven we're certain of eternity and can press on toward maturity. Remember dear friends, that…

[You're] but a stranger here; Heav'n is [your] home.
Earth is a desert drear; Heav'n is [your] home.
Danger and sorrow [may] stand Round [you] on ev'ry hand.
[But] Heav'n is [your] fatherland; Heav'n is [your] home. Amen.

CW #417 – I'm But a Stranger Here

In Him,
Pastor Rob Guenther

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
47585 Ciechanski Road, Kenai, AK 99611
pastorguenther@gmail.com
(907) 690-1660

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