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“Citizens of Heaven”

“Citizens of Heaven”.

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“Citizens of Heaven”

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  1. “Citizens of Heaven” 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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. (Philippians 3:20-21)

  2. “Citizens of Heaven” The Government of Heaven has always been a Monarchy – A Kingdom A Monarchy and a Democracy are opposites.

  3. Democracy Kingdom Government Monarch People People People have all authority and set up whatever government they choose. The monarch has all authority and the people have only such rights as he chooses to give them. Our Constitution allows for our laws to be changed as the thinking of the people changes. He makes the laws and the citizens must obey whether they approve or not.

  4. God Has Always Been King of His People • Promise to Abraham – “A Great Nation” (Gen.12:2) • Constituted at Sinai (Exodus 19:2-6) -- God made the laws (No legislature) -- Keeping His commandments was essential • Communicated laws thru Moses (John 1:17) • God was their only king (Judges 8:22-23) • Request for a king was rejection of God (1 Samuel 8:7)

  5. God Anticipated Request for a King • 14 ”When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, ‘Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,’ 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses…” (Deut. 17:14-15) • 18 ”When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees” (Deut. 17:18-19).

  6. The O.T. Kingdom was not perfect • The law itself was not perfect (Heb. 8:7) • The kings did not perfectly represent God. • The people were not obedient to God as King. • God promised a new law and new kingdom. - Jeremiah 31:31-33 - Daniel 2:44 • Announcement of Divine King to be born (Luke 1:30-35). • “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”(Mt.3:1-2).

  7. Jesus’ Life was in Preparation • His Temptations tested Him (Mt. 4:8-10) • His Preaching (Mt. 4:23; 5-7) • His System of Ethics heavenly (Matt. 5:48; 6:10) • His Parables (“The kingdom of heaven is like unto …”) • His Miracles (Matthew 12:28) • His Disciples (Luke 12:32; 22:28-30) • His Predictions (Mark 9:1) • His Identification of Himself (John 18:37)

  8. Jesus Was Not What Jews Expected • Some expected a king to bring great prosperity (John 6:15) • Some expected a king revealed as a heavenly intervention (Mt. 16:1) • Some expected an earthly Jewish kingdom (Mark 11:7-11; Acts 1:6) • Resisted temptation (Matthew 4:3-4; John 6:15; 26-27) • Refused to jump from Temple (Matt. 4:5-7; 16:2-4) • Refused Satan’sOffer(Mt.4:8-10) • “My Kingdom is not of this world (John18:36) They Crucified Him! Jewish Expectations By Contrast Jesus

  9. Rejection was not a Surprise! • Isaiah 52:13; 53:3,8,12 • Parables predicted it (Matthew 21:33-46) • Jesus saw it as essential (John 12:23-24, 32-33) • By death He defeated Satan (Heb. 2:14-15) • After His resurrection He said to His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; ” (Mt.28:18-19)

  10. Coronation Announced! • Acts 2:32-33 • Acts 2:36 (Christ = anointed, King, Messiah) • Acts 2:37-38 (“Baptized in name of Jesus Christ”) • Acts 2:40-41 (“Be saved from this perverse generation”) • “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13).

  11. All Christians Understand that Jesus is King But what does that mean? We must make certain that everything we do is authorized by the King! It means accepting Him as LORD as well as Savior!

  12. Acts 2:41 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

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