News Flash: You're a Saint! - Part A

He writes to the Corinthians that he calls them Saints.

If you know anything about Corinth or the Corinthian church you know that the term saint has a latitude saints who are abhorrent.

When Paul was writing these letters, he was writing dead people like he's the kid in sixth sense is that I see it, Paul was writing to living, breathing saints, those who were on the earth and declared to be God's people set apart as God's people. When Jesus prayed to God the father.

He said that we are not of this world we been sent into the world.

So what does that mean exactly find out when you connect with Skip Heitzig today before going to Skip Sunday message live online at nine and 11 AM.

Just visit live.Calvary NM.church. That's nine and 11 AM at live.Calvary NM.church. Now we want to let you know about a resource that can help you access the power of the Holy Spirit to live victoriously. The Holy Spirit is mysterious in the Bible. Jesus even said slightly when so Christians are instructed to know and be sensitive to help counsel and comfort. Skip I think reminds us Neglect the Holy Spirit is the Scripture is the Holy Spirit from beginning to and from Genesis to Revelation.

Not only is the Bible can be to Holy Spirit is a divine person who helps us think you need all the help you can get to live your Christian life beyond help discover the Holy Spirit is setting down Holy Spirit and for a limited time you can also get a copy of Gilenya called empower discover your spiritual gifts. Both resources are our things, your gift of $25 or more to help expand this vital teaching outreach to get online securely connect.com/offer or call 800-922-1888 okay strapped one for today study so much joy Skip in chapter 1 verse one to read the bond servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi with the bishops and deacons. Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the most misunderstood words in all of the Christian language is a word found in verse one. The word St. I grew up hearing a lot about saints in the church that I was raised in, but I always thought a saint was a dead person who was made into a statute. I didn't understand what the biblical significance or definition of the saint was now the way it turns out, is you won't get much help from the Webster's dictionary. If you want to find out what a saint is according to Webster's dictionary, it is not the same. According to the New Testament.

Webster's dictionary defines a saint as someone officially recognized through canonization as being preeminent for holiness. Second definition, according to Webster.

It's one of the spirits of the departed who are now in heaven.

In other words, according to Webster's dictionary, a saint is a near perfect person now dead in heaven what all that come about. It came about throughout church history when early on, third century, fourth century A.D., because the persecution was so rampant, the killing of Christians was so rampant that it was believed that anybody who died as a Christian martyr would be declared a saint, but then as time went on the Vatican in Rome decided there needs to be a process so that unworthy people don't get declared saints so they came up with a process of canonization. Now if you want to become a saint. According to that process are the few things you have to do number one you have to die and wait five years.

During that time a local devotional group grows up around your memory to discuss your life and they want to emulate things about you. That's number one number two.

Your life is then investigated by local bishops to see if you are worthy of the title St. number three. Your case is sent to the Vatican to a special group called the congregation for the causes of the saints. There is a group called that they will review your case number four people start praying to you for a miracle see better cough on up the stop start praying to you for a miracle that the miracle occurs. It is investigated fifth the Vatican. If the miracle is legit. The Vatican then declares you blessed, blessed and officially declares that you are in heaven, though by now you've known that for some time and you are then given a feast day to celebrate your life now a special note, if you were a martyr you will Skip all the intermediate steps and just be declared blessed and then six if you can do another miracle that will push you over the edge. Now you will be canonized a saint declared officially a saint, and you will be and what is called the great communion of the saints. That's how you become a saint. According to the Vatican. That's an elaborate process to take you some time.

I got a better idea. Trust in Jesus Christ now and Skip the line that is a New Testament idea of a saint. The New Testament of the New Testament knows nothing of canonized thing that dead person that knows everything about recognizing a living person you see Paul the apostle writes to saints in the book of Philip Philippians chapter 1 he writes to saints in the book of Romans chapter 1 he writes to saints in the book of Colossians chapter 1 and he writes to the Corinthians, and he calls them saints if you know any thing about Corinth or the Corinthian church you know that the term saint has the latitude them saints who are at Corinth when Paul was writing these letters, he was writing that dead people is not like he's the kid in six sensors that I see dead people.

Paul was writing to living, breathing saints, those who were on the earth and declared to be God's people set apart as God's people.

Not only is there an elaborate process of canonization in that church. The church I grew up in that I just mentioned. But there are saints that are given sort of jurisdiction over special areas in life are called patron saints. Their guardians of special areas. I grew up with us knowing about St. Christopher, the patron saint of travel St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things St. Jude, the patron saint of difficult circumstances.

But if you do a little research on this and you'll find it interesting. You will find hundreds and hundreds of patron saints over virtually every possible category in life. Some are quite surprising.

For example there is St. Barbara who is the patron saint of fireworks. There is St. Isidore of Seville, the patron saint of the Internet, could you not.

I headed triple check this at a few different sources to make sure I was accurate. There is St. Drago who is the patron saint of unattractive people, everybody needs a saint. And then there is St. Canisius of Rome, who is the patron saint of actors and comedians. We all know they need a lot of help know most people do not associate sainthood with what we noted last week is the theme of this letter, which is joy when most people think of a saintly think assemblies are gloomy and sad and serious like all those saints portrayed in ancient Christian art, so allow me with you to look back at Philippians chapter 1 and let me give you some qualities that describe a biblical St. a biblical St. first quality.

Is this a saint is somebody who belongs to two spheres two spheres look at in verse one Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are in Philippi.

There, in Christ. That's the first address there in Philippi.

That's the second address so think of it this way, God's people have dual citizenship. We live here we live. Mr. Butt according to Paul, we live and move and have our being in him so I have a physical address here in town. I also have a spiritual address in Christ and because of that I have an eventual address in heaven, so you may live at 1611 Comanche Ct. NE. that your physical address Jesus at my father's house are many mansions. I'm going there to prepare a place for you, so you might live on earth but you long for heaven.

You dwell on earth you're destined for glory, as we will read about when we get to chapter 3, whenever that will be in verse 20 Paul will say for our citizenship is in heaven. So it's good and will look at each address. A little deeper in a moment, but it's good to think of yourself as having two addresses living in this world with two different spheres in Christ, but in wherever I live in Albuquerque.

Melanie say a word to those of you who consider yourself as living only in one address a physical address, you're bound to this earth, you live for the pleasures of this earth you're not in Christ and you have no intention of ever being in Christ, you are content to go to church from time to time to take part in whatever your family wants to be here here not weak like those members of your family that have accepted Jesus Christ your your content with just living for the here and now if that is your stance. If that is your posture, then let me just encourage you to make sure that you suck all of the pleasure you can out of your earthly address is it's the last good time to let her have you might as well get all the gusto right now right here and just take every ounce of fun. You can out of it, but Paul believed that he could live in the spirit of the here and now, but also in Christ, knowing that he would be in heaven and it would add a fuller life. That's what brought him joy. Look at the spiritual address mentioned in verse one to all the saints in Christ Jesus, now 87 times in your New Testament is that phrase in Christ Jesus, it's repeated over and over. We are in Christ Jesus which means simply we are united to his life. The life of Jesus Christ is in you and so when Jesus prayed in John 17 to his father. He said father I and you and you in me that they his followers may be one in us. It's very unique to the Christian life to say you are in Christ. You will never find a Buddhist saying I am in Buda will follow the teachings of that later. But they're not in Buda. You never hear a Muslim saying I'm in Mohammed or Mormon saying I'm in Joseph Smith room in Brigham Young or a Jehovah witness saying I'm in Charles Taylor's Russell or Christian science thing. I'm in Mary Baker Eddy, but you find a Christian like Paul saying you are in Christ Jesus you share the same life is him.

Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 Paul says I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So what that means is nowhere in this world were not of this world because were in Christ is a winner in this world and you're in Christ. Here in this world but not of this world, which means as you live in this world you live with a light touch a light touch in this world is your only passing through it so your permanent home is simply transitory, it's temporary, you're on your way to something far better. What you listen to a portion of a letter written from the second century A.D. to a man by the name of Dionysus who was actually the tutor of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor, and this letter to him was describing Christians that were the new phenomenon in the Roman Empire. This author says to this unbelieving Roman government official these words.

Christians are not marked out from the rest of mankind by their country or by their speech or by their customs. They dwell in cities both Greek and barbarian. As each has its own lot. Following the customs of the region in clothing and food and in outward things of life. Generally, yet they manifest the wonderful and openly paradoxical character of their own state. They inhabit the lands of their birth, but as temporary residence thereof, and they take their share of all the responsibilities of citizens and endure all the disabilities as aliens. Every foreign land is their native land and every native land is as a foreign land, they pass their days upon the earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. What a testimony they they they live responsibly here but their citizenship is in heaven. That's important because some have accused Christians of being so heavenly minded there no earthly good. And to that Paul would say, while you have understood the next part of the address there not only in Christ Jesus.

But notice what it says in verse one, who are in Philippi.

In other words on this earth. You happen to be citizens of the Roman Empire in the Roman colony called the city of Philippi, so we are residents of two realms.

In this case, if we were in Philippi were in Christ, but in Philippi so because were residents of two realms. We should live responsible in both realms be responsible citizens in Christ and in Philippi. Jesus prayed this my prayer praying to his father in John 17. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. Please understand his heart cry. Father don't take them out of this world. Just keep them from the evil one while they're in this world.

In other words, Jesus never intended for you to live in a cave or a monastery as a hermit and to be on involved in disassociated from your world and your society. In fact, Jesus said this in a must've startled his disciples. Jesus said, behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. If I heard that Ida said why you don't love me very much. If you want to send me your sheep in the midst of wolves you must you must be cruel. Now he's kind.

He loves wolves so much that sending his sheep out in the midst of them may turn some of those walls into some of his sheep. That's the purpose of, but this then becomes a struggle to us.

Part of our struggle is knowing how to balance both passports. I'm in Christ but I may have occurred in Christ, but I'm in Philippi. We have responsibilities to both how do we balance that one of the ways we balance it is make sure that you are talking to Christ about your Philippi and talking to Philippi about your Christ when you talk to Jesus when you pray to him, tell him about your neighbors, your neighborhood, your city, the problems in your city pray about where you live and then tell your Philippi about your Christ, tell people who don't know the Lord about what following Jesus is like that will keep you and I and the balance of carrying responsibly to passports in this dual citizenship in which we live responsible to him, but were responsible in our culture back in the days of what is called the Jesus movement. I always feel like I need to explain that nowadays cadets so old. From memory the Jesus movement was a phenomenon in the 60s and 70s whereby thousands upon thousands of young people coming to Christ. In droves, especially on the West Coast was a phenomenon but we all believe that Jesus was coming soon. I still believe that we believe what that man is he's coming so soon.

Might as well just do nothing. Desiderata waveform does enjoy yourself as a beer. Well any minute so it created a lot of people who were irresponsible and I remember when I announce to some of my friends that I was going to go to college. They go to college.

Jesus will come back before you graduate from college. I say well if he does he'll find a college last time I checked, colleges need to hear about Jesus or I like the bastion of righteousness and goodness.

I feel colleges need a good witness trying to be if he comes back before I am done by Jesus said he was coming but he also said occupy until I come. Stay responsible stay busy stay involved, stay engaged. So we are in Christ, but we are in Philippi. The same belongs to two spheres. There is a second quality of the St. New Testament same the same behaves submissively in other words a saint is a servant again. Notice in verse one.

I know I touched on it last week but there's always more numbers you know. So I did one verse last week.

I'm doing verse one into this week. Just look at that word Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ. Don't you love how Paul introduces himself insight. Paul and Timothy bigwigs or Dr. Paul and Dr. Timothy eminent theologians writing to you lowlife resentful of really don't know theology like I do.

He came as low as you can get. We are bond slaves of Jesus Christ how Paul is writing as a slave as a servant to saints, but look at it this way he's writing is a servant to servants see throughout this book. He's going to encourage them to become like him. Chapter 2 is an essay let this mind be in you which was also even in Jesus Christ, who, being in the form of God did not think it robbery to be the same on the same par as God, but he emptied himself and be came a bond servant to be servants like Jesus was a servant. And like I am a servant through his writing is a servant to servants now when they heard the term bond slave or bondservant it sounded different to their ears than it does to our ears. We have eradicated slavery in our culture in the Roman Empire. Slavery was 40% of the population still 40% of people in the Roman empire were owned by other human beings. At that time, but it was enforced kind of a slavery, they were often despised and slaves were regarded as simply a piece of property that there was a slavery even in Judaism in the religious sector. But if you know your Old Testament you know that you could have a slave for six years you had to treat them very kindly and then on the seventh year, you release them. But if the slave love the master remember there was a ceremony the slave could say no, no, no, I want to serve my master for the rest of my life will. The ceremony was to take her slave to the doorpost and you run a spike through his earlobe, Laura, and all like you get an earring you pierce it and you would designate that person is a servant voluntarily for life. That's the idea of a New Testament bouncer, bondservant of Jesus because I have to, I signed up for this. I want to voluntary bondservant bound woefully to Christ that Skip the message from the series technical joy.

Now reading the stories of the Bible is a very good thing. Walking where the stories took place is at a whole another level Skip Heitzig is planning his next tour and you can be on the invitation from Skip urine for an incredible time as we travel throughout Israel and experience the culture so unique to that country. Now I've been to Israel and number of times over the years and I can honestly say that visiting the places where the events of the Scriptures unfolded were Jesus lived taught and healed.

It just never gets old will start on the Mediterranean Sea and head north. Seeing places like Caesarea and Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River will spend several days in and around Jerusalem and see the temple mount Calvary, the garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of olives and much more. This remarkable itinerary is made richer with times of worship, Bible study, and lots of fellowship. The Bible will come alive to you in a way it never has before. I hope you'll join Lenny and me on what is always an unforgettable trip. I can't wait to see you in is this dream can come true for you. Start planning and seasonality to reduce real Skip Heitzig information, inspiration, cruises.com/CAB that's inspiration cruises.com/in real quick catch connect with Skip Heitzig on the hills on track on Saturdays at 4:30 PM mountain or watch it on TV and on Sundays at 5:30 AM Eastern.

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