Chapter 5, I'm going to ask you to follow and I'll read verses 1 to 11. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Let's hear God's word. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God. a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven. If indeed having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well-pleased, rather to be absent from the body than to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences." We thank God for his word and for the assurance that one day the Lord will clothe us with immortality. And we will have bodies that are like unto the body of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Well, let's turn, please, to Philippians chapter 3. There are some times in life when something happens and you're kind of left speechless, and sometimes when we sing like that I'm just not sure what to say afterwards. There are other times in life too when you have moments that are very solemn and sobering, very special. I had one such moment when I had the opportunity to stand at the spot where Martin Luther King gave his I Have a Dream speech, stand in front of the Lincoln Memorial and the steps there and look out over that reflecting pool and see the Washington Monument in the distance and know that there was a day when I guess 250,000 people gathered and Martin Luther King gave that extraordinary speech and he spoke of such power and articulated what really is a very wonderful vision. And he envisioned a day of justice, a day of brotherhood, a day of freedom, a day of peace, a day in which people of all kinds will live together in harmony. But it was a vision, I think, that was tied to a physical land. and tied to an earthly nation. You and I who are Christians, we also have a hope and we have a vision that is given to us in the scriptures of a glorious day in a glorious land. But it is not an earthly nation that we look for. We look with Abraham for a city whose builder and maker is God. And we are desiring a better heavenly country. That's the kind of thing Paul's talking about here in Philippians chapter 3. He's talked a little bit about some of the people who are presently surrounding the Philippians, and we see them as well in our own day. He says you're not to be like them, you're not to follow their example, but you're to follow our example. And we are people who belong to another country. They are people who are of the stuff of this world, and they can't get their minds off earthly things. That's all they think about. But we're different. We are people who belong in another place. And so he says in verse 17, Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk as have us for a pattern. from any walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself." Well, we're going to look at three things as we try and understand what Paul is saying here, and we want to consider, first of all, who we are. We'll think first of all about who we are. Now Paul says to them, our citizenship is in heaven. And as soon as he says citizenship, they would have listened because citizenship is something that these people would have understood. And it's a concept that they would have been very familiar with. They would have been familiar with particularly the fact of Roman citizenship. When Paul mentions citizenship. They think Roman citizenship and it's something that they're pretty thrilled about. The fact is that Rome had made many colonies at different strategic points in the empire. You know, Rome spread out as a result of its military activity and conquered places here and there and they would choose strategic spots and strategic cities. They'd make those places colonies. And many retired soldiers would become the citizens in those particular Roman colonies. And as one writer says, the great characteristic of these colonies is that wherever they were, they were, and this is such a wonderful little phrase, they were fragments of Rome. And so you were not in Rome itself, but you traveled over hill and dale, and you come to this little city, and it's a fragment of Rome. It's sort of like being at Rome. It's a little bit of Rome. It's little Rome right there in the middle of this distant area. They were fragments of Rome. Roman dress was worn. Roman magistrates governed. The Latin tongue was spoken. Roman justice was administered. Roman morals were observed. And Paul is saying to the Philippians, just as Roman colonists never forget that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven. Your conduct must match your citizenship. And so Paul says, look friends, our citizenship is in heaven. And that would have touched something very dear to them and reminded them at least of these two things. First of all, we are in fact citizens of heaven. Christian people, those who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, though they may be on one level citizens of Rome and citizens of Canada and citizens of the U.S. and so on and so forth, on a deeper and much more profound and much more glorious level, they are citizens of heaven. Now, we used to be citizens of another place, citizens of another country. Go over to Colossians chapter 1 and verse 13. God has delivered us from the power or the domain of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. There was a time when we were in another place in a spiritual sense. We lived in another country in a spiritual sense. We were under the dominion and the power and the authority of the devil. But God has changed us, He has translated us, He has taken us out of that place, and we are now firmly planted in the kingdom of God's Son. And we are citizens of that kingdom. Now, you become citizens of the kingdom of heaven in a biblical way when you become a citizen of Canada. Let's say you come from another country, as my family did, want to become a citizen of Canada. Well, we stayed here five years, as was the requirement at the time, and then we, as soon as we were here the required time, we went down and got our citizenship changed. We were pretty excited to become citizens of Canada. And so you do whatever you need to do, and you fill in the required forms, and I think pay the required amount of money, and swear allegiance to the Queen, which for us, for myself, was a little bit of a chore, but we did it. because the payoff was great. You become a citizen of this great country. But the fact is that the kind of person I was before I became a citizen of Canada was pretty much the same person I was the day after I became a citizen of Canada. It didn't change my heart. It didn't change the character and the person. When you become a citizen of the Kingdom of God, when you become a citizen of Heaven, you are someone who is radically changed. You are a new creation in the Lord Jesus Christ. If anyone's in Christ, he is a new creation. You have been given a new heart. That's the promise of God. He gives a new heart. A heart to know God. A heart that hungers and thirsts for God. A heart that longs to and desires to obey the commands of God and live for the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a new person. You have a new Lord. You have a new destiny. You have a new family. You have a new Father. And you're someone now who's got a new purpose in the world. You're living not for yourself anymore. You're living for the glory of your God. Now, your great prayer is that the kingdom of God may come, that the name of God may be glorified, that the will of God may be done in your life and in the lives of others in this world, as it is in heaven. And so these are your concerns now. Now you're concerned about putting sin to death. And now you're concerned about becoming like the Lord Jesus Christ. Now sin doesn't entice you anymore. You don't love it anymore, but you hate it. Now you want to be like Jesus, and righteousness is something that's exciting for you. You're a different person when you become a citizen of God's kingdom. But having said that, The result is that you are a citizen of the heavenly kingdom. Now you are, as Paul says here, someone whose citizenship is in heaven. That's who we are. It's interesting that Paul says here in verse 20, for our citizenship is in heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven. That's the fact right now. It's not something that we're aspiring to. It's not something that we hope will one day take place, but as one commentator says, our citizenship is even now in heaven. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, it is even now already a fact. Not that we are going to be, but we are. The marvelous thing is that the Bible says at least a couple of other things with regard to who we are in Christ. The Bible says marvelous things about who we are right now. Look at Ephesians 2. And verse 4, Ephesians 2 verse 4, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So there is a sense in which even now this is what is true of us. We are those who even now are sitting in heavenly places in Christ. One writer says that though not there yet physically, Though that's not the case physically yet, we Christians are already in the heavenlies by virtue of our union with Christ. Spiritually, we are seated on the throne along with other believers. And so, Paul says, you are citizens of heaven. He says you are seated in the heavenlies with Christ. Let's take a look at another text. 1 John 3, verse 2. 1 John 3 and verse 2, Beloved, now we are children of God. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Now, there's an awful lot about us that has not yet been revealed. What is it going to be like when we see Him? What are we going to be like when we are in His presence and when we are transformed into perfect conformity with the image of Christ? And so, there's an awful lot about us that we really don't know, but John says, I can tell you this. Right now, you're a child of God. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. That's the fact, and that's the reality. Children of God, and that's what you are right now. The Bible has some marvelous things, then, to say about who we are right now in Christ. We are those who are citizens of the heavenly kingdom. We are those who in a real spiritual sense are seated in the heavenly realms with the Lord Jesus Christ and those who by nature already are the children of the living God. Tremendous privileges. Who are you? Well, you are one whose citizenship is in heaven. A second thing that these people would have realized when Paul says, our citizenship is in heaven, is that they need to live like citizens of heaven. They need to live like citizens of heaven. 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. You see, there's a tremendous contrast with what Paul has said before. You look at verses 18 and 19, there are those kinds of people around you, some of them interacting with you, Paul says to them, many of whom I've told you often, now even tell you with weeping, they're enemies of the cross. Their end is destruction. Their God is their belly. Their glory is their shame. And they are entirely focused on earthly things. That's where their heart is. But you are radically different. For our citizenship is in heaven. We're a different kind of people. We're a whole new race. We're not like them. Not that you feel superior about it, because it's all of grace, isn't it? But God has brought about a radical change. They set their mind on earthly things, and they live like it. You can tell. And you set your mind on heavenly things, and you're to live like it. That's what He tells us. You're to live like it. Now, the marvelous thing then is that when Paul tells them they're to live in a particular way, they're to conduct themselves in a particular way, they're to follow his example. You see, don't follow the example of these types, but follow my example and follow the example of those who follow my example. Live godly lives. But the wonderful thing is to see how he grounds that and he bases that in the fact that this is who they are. They're citizens of heaven. So he says, live a godly life. Why? Because you're citizens of heaven. Legalists and moralists will say, well, you know, you don't do this and you don't do that because you just don't do this and you don't do that. But when you read the Bible, it always says, well, now, in light of who you are, In light of the fact that you're a child of God, in light of the fact that the Lord Jesus has saved you by His grace, you've been forgiven of all of your sins. In light of who you are, live like this. In fact, live who you are in the world. Be in the world what you are in reality. You have been freed from sin, Romans 6. Live like it. You are a citizen of heaven. Live like it. live accordingly. That's surely the common sense, natural thing to do. So you see, that's what these people would have understood. I'm a citizen of heaven. I need to live accordingly. I need to live a heavenly lifestyle. If you're a Roman citizen, well, then you want to live a lifestyle that is appropriate for a Roman citizen. And if someone comes along and wants you to live a lifestyle that is contrary to a Roman lifestyle, then you resent that. You can read about that in Acts 16, verse 20. These people didn't take kindly to what they thought were people who were telling them to live contrary to a Roman lifestyle, even though that wasn't the case. But if you look at Acts 16, verses 20 and 21, they thought that that's what Paul and Silas were doing. And so we read in Acts 16 verse 20 about their experience in Philippi, they brought them to the magistrates and said, these men being Jews exceedingly trouble our city, and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe. Well, they want us to be something other than, something less than Romans, something different, something contrary to Romans, and we don't want to do that. They take exception to that notion that they should live something other than a Roman lifestyle. You and I are Christians, and these people listen to Paul, and Paul says, you're a citizen of heaven. Well, we want to live a heavenly lifestyle. We want to live in such a manner as is appropriate for those who are citizens of God's kingdom. And the fact of the matter is that heaven is a holy place. You read about heaven and what is going to be permitted in heaven and what is going to enter heaven. And Revelation says of heaven that there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Heaven is a place of light and God is the light. And in God there is no darkness at all. Heaven is a place where sin cannot abide. Our God, the God who reigns and rules in heaven, is a God whose eyes are too pure to look upon evil. That's what heaven is like, because that's where God is. And you're a citizen of heaven. And so that which defiles, that which is offensive to God, That which is a stench in his nostrils, that which he, in his word, declares to be something that he hates. And we read about those things in Proverbs, for instance. You know, the Lord hates this, and the Lord hates that. And the pride, and the anger, and the lust. The Lord hates those things. That's the Lord of heaven. And you're a citizen of heaven. So those things have no place in your life. Those things have no place in your heart. Those things have no place in your thoughts. And you want to banish them, because you're a citizen of heaven. And you're not going to love this world. You're a citizen of heaven, so you look at this world, and the things of this world, and the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes, and the lust of the flesh, And you look at this world and you see so much wickedness and you no longer love this world. You're no longer taken up with the kinds of priorities that people in the world are taken up with. Because now your affections are on things above. And you see, when you think about heaven and when you think about what lies ahead and when you think about what things are going to be like in that day, then you realize that those things have to have an impact upon your life in this world. Eschatology has to have an ethical impact in your life. And when you study the things to come, when you study what is going to happen, it must affect how you live here. If you are a citizen of heaven and that's where you're headed, it's going to and it must affect your conduct and your lifestyle here. James Boyce writes about a restaurant in Decatur, Georgia in the 60s, early 60s. And so we're talking about the Civil Rights Movement and talking about times when race conflict was at its height in the United States. And he talks about a restaurant where there are two signs, And the first sign is, Jesus is coming again. In the South, so you expect to see signs like that. So, the first sign is, Jesus is coming again. And the second sign is, we reserve the right to refuse service to anybody. So, well, Jesus is coming back again and we love him and we're looking forward to heaven. But we don't like these types of people. And so we're not going to give them a piece of bread. And so the fact of the matter is that if you love the Lord Jesus Christ and you picture yourself as someone who is going to live in heaven and you apparently look forward to that, then remember that there are going to be men and women from every tongue and tribe and kindred and nation. You're going to sit next to people at the heavenly feast who are lighter or darker than you. See, what he's saying is that there are implications for the present. And so you put those two signs there, that's incongruous. It doesn't fit. Well, if you are a citizen of heaven, you need to live a lifestyle that is appropriate. Dr. Boyce wrote, if you are contemplating some sin, perhaps a dishonest act in business, perhaps trifling with sex outside of marriage, perhaps cheating on your income tax, then the return of Jesus Christ has not made its proper impression on you. If your life is marked by a contentious, divisive spirit in which you seek to tear down the work of another person instead of building it up, then the return of Jesus Christ has not made its proper impression on you. If you first protect your own interests and neglect to give food, water, or clothing to the needy, as we are instructed to do in Christ's name, then the return of Jesus Christ has not made its proper impression on you. And you and I could look at all kinds of areas in our own lives and say, well, you know what? This is not appropriate in light of the fact that I'm going to sit at the feast on that day in the presence of Jesus. And so there needs to be an appropriate lifestyle, doesn't there? If we are citizens, then we must live a heavenly If we are citizens of heaven, we must live a heavenly lifestyle. Furthermore, if we are heavenly citizens, then we must promote the heavenly cause. We must promote the heavenly cause. That is, we are praying, Lord, your kingdom come. We read 2 Corinthians 5, that we are the ambassadors of God in this world. You read about Nelson saying to these sailors and signing out to them on these other ships, saying that England expects every man to do his duty. Well, we understand that as citizens of any earthly kingdom, any earthly nation, we're to do our duty. We're to fulfill our responsibility as citizens. We understand that. Well, it's certainly true if we're citizens of heaven. We have a job to do, brethren. And our responsibility, and it's a privilege as well, but our responsibility is to serve in the cause of Christ and to promote the kingdom and to do all we can to see the church of Christ grow and to see sinners won to the Lord Jesus Christ and to see the name of Christ honored as these men and women and young people are saved and drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ and joined to the church. So are you willing to give your life for the heavenly cause. Some people around the world are doing that, you know. They're giving their lives. They're giving their lives for the cause of heaven's Lord. I listened to David Sitton about a week and a half ago at the conference. There are people who are willing to give their lives for the cause of Christ. Perhaps in our case, an even more difficult question, it's very easy to say, I'm willing to give my life because next week I'll probably be here. So, there's not a huge possibility of me having to sacrifice my life in the cause of Christ. But the question is, am I willing to live for the cause of Christ? Am I willing to live for the cause of Christ? Am I willing to serve to promote the Kingdom of Christ? Am I willing to sacrifice? to promote the kingdom of Christ? Am I willing to give of my time and my substance for the cause of Christ? Am I willing to do whatever I can to serve the cause of Christ so that others, people who now, as we speak, are still bone ignorant of the things of God, next week can become citizens of the same kingdom? So, you see, if we are citizens of the kingdom, then we are those who are willing to serve in the kingdom cause, and we live a lifestyle that is appropriate for those who are heavenly citizens. Now, those are the implications for those of us who are citizens. If you're not a Christian, if you're not a believer, I want you to know this. There are only two types of citizens in the world. Only two. There are many, many nations, but two types of citizens. It's the Colossians 113 text that I'm talking about. You are either in the domain of darkness tonight or you're in the kingdom of God's dear son. There are only two types of people in this congregation tonight. Either you're a citizen of heaven or you are in the domain of darkness. That is deeply sobering, isn't it? We can go through each and every one of you and say you are either in the kingdom or you're under the dominion of the devil. There's no middle ground. You're one or the other. You are either destined for glory or you're destined for hell. It is black and white. And the world in which we live wants to say, well, you know, could be true for you, not true for me. The Bible says no. It's one or the other. You are either with him or you're against him. Which are you in tonight? Be honest with yourself. Don't play games. And be honest, say it in your mind. I'm not in the kingdom. Be honest. And don't fool yourself with the fact that you're sitting in a church, because that's not going to save you. That means nothing. Don't kid yourself that you're a child of Christian parents. That's not going to save you. That just means you have better privileges than most people in the world. But be honest, where do you stand tonight? Your feet are either in the kingdom of heaven, or they're in the domain of darkness. That's where you stand. Which one is it? And for some of you, you're under the dominion of the devil. And that must change. Because you know enough to know how dangerous that is. You've been taught this. You understand this. It is deadly. It must change. How do you go from that kingdom to this kingdom, from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son? Well, you know the answer to that too, don't you? You repent and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it is. That's what you have to do. That's what God commands you to do. Paul says that God commands all men everywhere to repent. So God commands you tonight to repent, to be done with your sin, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. God commands that. He doesn't give you an option. He doesn't say, now here is a possibility, consider this. He says, no, this is the command of the God of all the universe. Repent. Be done with your sin. Believe in Christ. And he'll save you. He'll forgive you. He'll make you his child. He'll make you a citizen of the heavenly kingdom. We pray that God will do that work in your life and you will come to the Lord Jesus tonight. Well, that's the first thing. Who are we? Oh, we pray that every single one of you, before you walk out of here, will be able to say, well, you know what? By the grace of God, I'm a citizen of heaven. Second thing is, who do we wait for? Who do we wait for? Well, let's look at what Paul says. Our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior. the Lord Jesus Christ. Think first of all about the certainty of the second coming. The fact is that Jesus is in heaven right now. He's ascended bodily into heaven and one day he's going to come from heaven and he's going to return to this earth. That's a tremendous emphasis in the New Testament. Every book of the Bible, except every book of the New Testament rather, mentions the second coming except Galatians. You know, there's a tremendous theological controversy going on Galatians, so Paul doesn't even mention the second coming in that particular book. And then third John, second John and Philemon, you know how short they are. But in all of the other books of the New Testament, the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned. There's a tremendous emphasis upon the second coming. Jesus Christ is coming back again to this world. Take a look at Mark chapter eight. Go back to the Gospels and the Word of our Savior Himself, and He says that He's going to come back. Mark 8, verse 38. For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with His holy angels. It is when He comes It is a certainty. It's going to happen. Chapter 13 and verse 26. Chapter 13 and verse 26. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven. And the Lord Jesus is going to come back again. He's going to send His angels. He's going to gather everybody. We will all be there in the presence of our great Lord. John chapter 14, words of great comfort to people who are children of God, but facing times of trial and the Lord comforts them with the certainty of his coming. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. and receive it to myself that where I am, there you may be also." And so he is going to come back. I have to go away, I have things to do, I have to prepare a place, I have to send the Spirit. It is for your advantage that I go away, and we recognize that and thank God for that. The Spirit now indwells us. That's one of the great benefits of our Lord going away. But having gone away, he says, I'm going to come back again. And I'm going to come back so that I can take you to be with me where I am. And look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 16 and 17. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, thinking about the certainty of the return of Jesus Christ, we get so caught up in this world, we forget to think about the Second Coming. We forget what a tremendous emphasis there is upon it in the New Testament. We forget how sure and certain it is. We think we're just going to live and live and live, and life's going to go on and on and on. The Lord's going to come back one day. 1 Thessalonians 4.16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. We shall always be with the Lord. That is what is going to happen. And so we are those, Paul says in Titus, who are looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is coming back again. The certainty of the second coming. But secondly, there is the anticipation of the second coming. The anticipation of it. Because notice what Paul says. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also, what? Eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. You welcome someone back, you haven't seen them for ages, and they walk into your home, and you're glad to see them, and you hug them, and you can't wait to sit down and catch up with them, and talk about the things that have happened since you were parted last. Well, that's the kind of word that he's talking about here. How do we reflect upon the second coming of Christ? Are we nonchalant? Are we just sort of interested in an intellectual sense about the second coming? Do we simply sit back and say, well, now, am I an omnil, or am I a postmil, or am I a historic premillennialist, or what really is it? Well, he says, you know, the real thing is, when it comes to eschatology, we're people who can't wait to see Jesus. That's my eschatology. That's my perspective on the last days. I can't wait to see Christ. I'm eagerly waiting for Christ. And this word that he uses here is used several times in the New Testament to talk about the last day and the coming of Christ and how New Testament believers are people who can't wait to see Christ. Look at Romans chapter 8. We'll look at a few of these just so that we can get a taste The perspective of these people. Romans chapter 8 and verse 19. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. But now what about our perspective? Verse 23. Not only that, but we also. It's not just the brute creation that can't wait for that day, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. We were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. Why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. We are eagerly anticipating the return of Christ and all that that will mean for the creation and for us. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 7 says that we are eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 5 and verse 5. Galatians 5 and verse 5, Paul says, for we through the Spirit, because we can't have an anxious thought by ourselves, can we? And we can't have the right perspective on the end times by ourselves. So we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Hebrews 9.28 says, to those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation. The New Testament Christians said, Maranatha. That was often on their lips apparently. Oh, Lord, come. They could join their voice with John. You remember what John said at the end of the Bible? The Lord says, I'm going to come quickly. And John says, oh Lord, come. I hope you and I can join our voices with John. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. It's interesting, you know, when you read 1 Thessalonians, you find that the way Paul describes these people, when you look at 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 9, he says, they are those, Paul came and ministered to them, preached the gospel to them, and they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you and how you turned from God to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for His Son from heaven. So who were they, these Christians now in Thessalonica? Who were they? Well, they're people who now serve the living God. They have turned to serve the living and the true God, and they're waiting for Jesus. That's who they are. They now serve the Lord, and they're waiting for Christ. It's part of their identity. It's part of who they are. They're waiting. And they're waiting eagerly. They've got their eyes fixed to the horizon. And they're watching. And they're watching. And they can't wait till he comes. We want to be like that. It's only natural. We love him. It's only natural because he died for us. It's only natural because he said he's going to come back to take us to be with him where he is. It's only natural we would want that because he says he wants it. He prays to the Father, I want them to be with me where I am. And so we say, Lord, come back so we can be with you where you are. Doesn't mean we don't like our family. Doesn't mean we're discontent with this world. No, if we're mature Christians, we want to serve the Lord. Philippians chapter 1, Paul says, I know it's better for me to be here and to serve you and to be useful in the kingdom. But our heart, we long for Him. We love Him more than anything that this world could offer. And so we eagerly wait for Him. Well, may that be true of us. Who are we? Well, we're citizens of heaven. And who are we waiting for? We're waiting for Christ. And then the last question is this. Who will we be like? Who will we be like? Well, look at verses 20 and 21 again. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able to subdue all things to himself. There is, first of all, a transformation that we expect. There is a transformation that we expect. Paul said that we have lowly bodies. It's not an insult. It's just the facts. We have lowly bodies. We have bodies that are prone to decay. We have bodies that are prone to disease. We have bodies that are prone to break down. And we could all tell stories about that. And some are mildly amusing. As when I got up earlier this week to go and play squash and I sat up and I, oh, and I don't remember hurting myself. I don't remember doing anything. I just got, oh, that's sore. And I walked like this for a little bit. And I thought, Well, I can't tell you what I thought. So there's that. And then there's disease that eats the body. And then there are cancers that kill. And we understand what Paul's saying when he talks about our lowly bodies. Bodies broken by sin, subject to infirmities and suffering and decay. But that's not the end of it, because he says, the Lord Jesus Christ, when he returns, will transform our lowly bodies. Talking about this thing, not so much the inner man, the Bible elsewhere talks about that, but this body, this lowly body, this troubled body, this body which really is not fit to live out the the life principle that God has put within us, and it needs to be transformed, needs to be changed. That's why Paul says in Romans 8.23, we're waiting for the redemption of the body. And he says this is what it's going to be like. Here, in kind of shorthand, he says it's going to be a body that is like the body of the Lord Jesus. And that body of the Lord Jesus is a glorious body. It's a perfect body. And you can study the appearances of Christ post-resurrection. You see something of the qualities of that body. And it is a marvelous body. We're going to have a body something like that. A body that will never die. A body that is perfect. A body that seems to have some powers that were not there before. And so it's going to be a body like that. And then we can read 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and read a little bit more about what that body is going to be like. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 42. So also the resurrection of the dead, the body is sown in corruption, raised in incorruption, sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. And we're going to have a spiritual body, a body that is fit for people who are Born again by the Spirit of God. Empowered by the Spirit of God to live for the glory of the Triune God. We're going to have bodies perfectly suited for that. There'll be perfect bodies. And then verse 50. flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, the twinkling of an eye in the last trumpet, the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swollen up in victory. Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades, where is your victory? And so Spurgeon says our resurrection body will know no pain, no weariness, no weakness, no sign of disease, no sin and no possibility of corruption or death. And that's why Paul in 2nd Corinthians 5, as we read earlier, says we long for that kind of home. We long for that kind of house. We long for that kind of body. We can't wait. We want to put off this lowly body and put on that glorious body. I want to read something to you that is a little lengthy. I hope you'll bear with me and I hope you find it a blessing the way I have for years. There's a man by the name of Harry Rimmer and he writes to a pastor who is going to preach on heaven. And he says this. He says, next Sunday you're to talk about heaven. I'm interested in that land because I have held a clear title to a bit of property there for over 50 years. I didn't buy it. It was given to me without money and without price. But the donor purchased it from me at tremendous sacrifice. I'm not holding it for speculation since the title is not transferable. It is not a vacant lot. For more than half a century, the great architect and builder of the universe has been building a home for me, which will never need to be remodeled or repaired because it will suit me perfectly and individually and will never grow old. Termites cannot undermine its foundations, for they rest upon the rock of ages. Fire cannot destroy it. Floods cannot wash it away. No locks or bolts will ever be placed upon its door, for no vicious persons can ever enter that land where my dwelling stands. now almost completed and almost ready for me to enter and abide in peace eternally without fear of being ejected. There is a valley of deep shadows between the place where I live in California and that to which I shall journey in a very short time. I cannot reach my home in that city of gold without passing through this dark valley of shadows. But I'm not afraid because the best friend I ever had went through the same valley long, long ago and drove away all its gloom. He is stuck by me through thick and thin since we first became acquainted 55 years ago, and I hold his promise in printed form, never to forsake me nor to leave me alone. He will be with me as I walk through the valley of shadows, and I shall not lose my way when he is with me. The owner of the tenement, which I've occupied for many years, has given notice that he will furnish but little and nothing more for repairs. I'm advised to be ready to move. At first, this was not a welcome notice. The surroundings here are, in many respects, very pleasant. And were it not for the evidence of decay, I should consider this old house good enough. But even a light wind causes it to tremble and totter, and all the braces are not sufficient to make it secure. So I'm getting ready to move. It is strange how quickly one's interest is transferred to the prospective home. I've been consulting maps of the new country and reading descriptions of its inhabitants. One who visited it has returned and from him I learned that it is beautiful beyond description. Language breaks down in attempting to tell of what he heard while there. He says that in order to make an investment there he has suffered the loss of all things that he owned here and even rejoices in what others would call making a sacrifice. Another whose love to me has been proved by the greatest possible test is now there. He has sent me several clusters of the most delicious fruits. After tasting them, all food here seems insipid. Two or three times I've been down by the border of the river that forms the boundary and have wished myself among the company of those who were singing praises to the king on the other side. Many of my friends have moved there. Before they leave, they spoke of my coming later. I've seen the smile on their faces as they passed out of sight. Often I'm asked to make some new investments here, but my answer in every case is, I'm getting ready to move. See, we are people who don't belong here. We're passing through. We're citizens of another place. We're looking for a better country, a heavenly country. And we are those then who are waiting for the return of Christ so that he will take us home. The transformation we expect, And then lastly, the ability that we trust. The ability that we trust. Because Paul says, you know, that's quite an extraordinary thing that God should do that. Do you think he's able to do it? Well, Paul says he will transform our lowly bodies that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. Do you think he can do it? Well, the Scripture says, you know, that the Lord is able. It says that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him. It says that He is able to help them that are tempted. It says that He is able to help us keep us from falling. It says that He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above everything we could ask or think. It says, that he is able to save us to the uttermost. And here Paul says he is able to subdue all things to himself. He can put everything where it's supposed to be. Sometimes we look at our lives, we feel as if we're not able because we can't keep things where they're supposed to be. We can't keep all the balls juggling at the same time. We just don't seem to have the ability. We can't keep things in proper order. We're just not able. It is beyond us. God is never like that. He has all power. He is able to subdue with everything exactly where it's supposed to be. Paul says that God is able to do that. That God is able to raise Jesus. We'll do this for you. Let's pray. Father, we are so wonderfully privileged. We are citizens of your heaven. We are waiting for your son. We will enjoy the glory of your presence. World without end. Receive our praise and our thanksgiving words. Fail us to express to you how thankful we are for your mercies. Lord, our hearts bleed for those who are strangers to your grace. Draw them tonight, we pray. Make them your own so that they are citizens of your kingdom and will be with you, world without end. Blessed, we pray, for the saving of souls. For the glory of your name, we ask for Jesus' sake. Amen.