More Than Wishful Thinking

Three disciples saw the glory of the resurrected transfigure Laurel that mountaintop and it was just for a few moments, the Lord revealed to them as it were, the morning of that body. The prototype glorified body were told in Matthew 17 that the face of Jesus shown like the sun, and his clothing became as white as brilliant light love and listen you will one day be a brilliantly shiny well and influence, but in the end when they come to the end of their earthly voyage. None of that will matter. All that will matter at that point is where that person will spend eternity. God's Word gives us some glimpses into what eternity will be like when we finally see Jesus face-to-face in heaven heaven is the promise God has given us in the place to which we belong. God wants us to have a proper perspective on heaven and were studying a passage today that helps us do that. Welcome to wisdom for the heart. Today Stephen Davey concludes the series from Philippians 3, entitled aiming higher. The lesson you're about to hear is called more than wishful thinking. Grab your Bible open to Philippians 3 and get ready to hear from God's word right now known as the insurance which were studying together.

Paul refers to the same two categories. So let me return you there to Philippians chapter 3.

We can rewrite these two categories. This way, those who belong to our and those who belong to have every Paul doesn't spend any time as he describes the world flings to defend his statements to defend against their objections.

He simply delivers these four descriptions. Now Paul turns his attention in the other direction to those who belong to heaven, and in like manner he's getting it for basic principles is going to discuss four different things. First he describes the place to which the believer belongs greatly diverse. 20.

Paul writes for our citizenship is in heaven. This is the place to which we belong, and by the way, here's the great contrast then those who are lost claim to earth their earth worshipers their earth lovers.

All that matters is the things of earth are the things of earth. Those who are saved belong to heaven so people are either earth bound earth focused or have been bound.

And heaven focus the word Paul uses to describe them is this word citizenship their citizenship is in heaven. The word citizenship is from the original now probably too much for which we get our transliterated word politics politician or even though the ending of English words like Metropolis, the Greek word for city's policy or policies or injustice that conferred on Philippi. The impressive status of being a colony of Rome, the distant from the Empire. Their loyalty had delivered to them this wonderful tribute. They were given tax breaks and they adopted the customs of the Roman Empire. They wore that the Togo's and they they referred to one another with Latin expressions. They were proud to belong to Rome as a colony of Rome. Back when the baby was born in Philippi, it would be part of the tradition to enter or register their name into the legal records that would be kept in the capital cities effectively govern chapter 4 and verse three Paul refers to this custom by referring to the names of believers being written in the book of life. That's the registry of heaven. So Paul is drawing a number of analogies from their culture and applying them to the believer in wonderful ways. Actually, the people of Philippi were loyal subjects to the Empire of Rome. They were registered citizens in the rulebook of Rome.

Their city was a colony of Roanoke distant. It was called in lab translated in English a little Rome. There were proud of that will think about it. A believer is loyal subject to his Emperor. The Lord Jesus. We are registered citizens in the role book of heaven we came we were born by faith into the family of God and the church then is an extension, a representation of heaven.

It is a little heaven. That is, we represent or lease we ought to what heaven is like.

Or to put it another way. The Christian then has been assigned by God as an ambassador to a foreign country and he is assigned doing the embassy which is the local church which is located in that foreign country, although it represents the interests of its home country you citizenship is in heaven. Your politics is in heaven send Gordon Road and I love the way this pastor teacher evangelist from United Kingdom. We've had several times. You're right, it will, your ability as he said in this way you live on planet Earth, but you belong to another world you set up your tent here. You don't put down roots here. Christians are not vagabonds without a home.

We are not fugitives on the run from home.

We are pilgrims traveling that good to listen whenever you travel and some of you travel abroad, and I do as well you you dare not leave the house and get to the airport and realize you've left that little blue booklet behind the passport that tells every country where you are traveling the country to which you belong. So you go through your life. Keep in mind, sort of, this mental passport no matter what country you're in, no matter what neighborhood you live in its foreign soil.

You belong as a citizen to have. Secondly, Paul goes on to describe that only the place to which we belong, but the person for whom we waived.

Verse 24 citizenship is in heaven now notice from which we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ for the believer.

Heaven isn't just about a place it's about a person in the believer is eagerly awaiting an wizard that were waiting for Paul describes this person were waiting by just sort of piling on title to describe his Christ Chris Doss that's the word for anointed Messiah. He's Savior. Paul writes to return for Paul by the way only uses a 12 times all his letters. Most scholars believe it is because Caesar's favorite title was so tear Savior affect Roman coins minted during the days of Paul bore the image of the reigning emperor and all the coins minted in Greek speaking regions bore underneath his image.

The title Savior. Rome had invested upon their Caesar title Savior of the world. Paul is effectively saying that Jesus Christ added that the next title also given to the Emperor. By the way, the taqueria Lord during times of disaster, earthquake, famine wore the Empire look to their lord and master their Savior to be rescued. Paul's effectively contrasting verse here is the fact that those bound were have a Savior. They have a lower the believer has his Savior and it's as if Paul asked the question which Savior and Lord, would you rather have which one is if Paul tells all of them and all of us. We have an infinitely better Savior than Caesar. He's bringing up something that Rome or Washington or Beijing or London could ever provide. Were going to a place where we truly belong to be united personally with the person for whom we eagerly wait to follow this because Jesus is more than a prophet or priest or a good man or a great teacher because he is the incarnation of Curry's from the Septuagint, Yahweh, Jehovah Jehovah, since he is sovereign Lord.

He is capable of pulling off something incredibly miraculous. And I know you as a believer if you're old enough and the faith he thought about it a little bit. I want to think about it with you in the me give you the third point in the will move for Paul now describes the promise to which we cling but start back in verse 20, get a running start for this incredible promise for our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory by the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things to himself.

In your thinking while slowdown see what happens when I read one whole verse without stopping too much just too much in the ladies going not not know slowdown is go back and break it down. I get some time left. I imagine the Philippians by the way can you imagine with me what it must've been like for them to hear this letter read for the first time in the custom in the assembly. The letter arrived from the apostle and in his witness to them in and they eagerly anticipate what it means in it. If it is, they heard that, but I just read rather quickly about the immediate transformation of the body.

It would be the rapture of the church if they knew what Paul Artie written to the Thessalonians. It would happen in a brief moment in time and it would be described as imperishable turning into that which is not perishable week turning into that which is strong if they had read the letter sent to the Corinthians are to the Thessalonians. If those letters have circulated this way. Yet, they would no doubt at that point, probably somebody would have shouted stop reading again, only slower, even if the lady in the church doesn't want her goes, we eagerly wait for a Savior, who is the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory. How the just wishful thinking to pie-in-the-sky yourself by the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things to himself who is by the way who is it that experienced power over death and the grave. Who is it demonstrated the activity of a resurrected body and give us a picture was was in the revealed brilliance of a transfigured body where the blinding light for a moment just enveloped the top of the who better to perform. The miracle of transformation for all who believe. Then Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and to him is given the right to do that by the triune God of the verb transform here envisions this dramatic, supernatural events when Christ will change the form of our bodies if we have died and we don't live to the rapture corrected Dusty's going to take that and reconstituted Paul speaks very clearly here in this language.

God is not going to discard his body, nor is he going to discard your body is going to transform your body will know how will do it. I mean exactly how the dust and the ashes in the bone fragments of millions of believers that would be scattered all around the world and throughout the oceans of the world. We don't know how we only are told who, because he is omniscient and omnipotent and omnipresent. He knows then where every strand of your DNA resides. He knows where every molecule every cell denigrated a microscopic dust. He knows all that, it has the power to petroleum impulses here that are immortal bodies will be conformed to the likeness of the Lord's glorified body that that's a big clue for Bible students. So what was the Lord's body like while the Gospels record for us that when Jesus Christ was resurrected and he was seen in his glorified body. There was continuity of his physical body for what it was or had been to what it was his physical appearance was continuity there. In fact, he'd even chosen to keep three scarves to in his hands, and the one inside the perfected, he retained the scars that will remind us forever of his atoning work on our behalf.

There was memory of car seat enough to be reintroduced. Anybody nor then there were tears in their eyes, and they didn't recognize or he was he miraculously withheld who he was and frankly nobody expected to see. So when you receive your glorified body. There will be a continuity of DNA continuity of physical form, a continuity of memory, a continuity of personality you are uniquely who you are, God has invested in you. Everything about you. In fact, one day in a in a sinless perfected state you're going to become everything God wants you to be perfected in Christ you will remain uniquely you. If you die as Susan, you're not coming back is Cindy here Sharon or whatever will Frank if you if you guys Frank you like to come back as Bill or or Susan if you were tall, dark and handsome like some of us that was intended to be funny thank you all right wow Nina I get this after last hour about a 12-year-old, 13-year-old, to be and say hey pastor I was sitting over on one side while you priest and the light was just right so that I could count the hairs on top of your head.

I said find another church on John the apostle puts it this way, we can imagine this, we shall be light him God's running around were going to mirror the image of his glorified body will see him as he is for John 32 is interesting to me.

The Angels told the disciples are standing or watching the Lord to send in acts chapter 1 watching go up through the clouds and in the bodily form and then they comment and the angel say that the disciples this Jesus, who has been taken up from you in heaven, will come in just the same form. Just the same manner, adding a reference to his body as well as location as it were in the clouds, just as you watched him go up into heaven. In other words, the body that the disciples saw go up the resurrected Christ will be the same body that will be seen when he returns for his church, which means, by the way, among other things, we often think of is the body of Jesus that went back to heaven, 2000 years ago will appear and it will not have age. One second the same. What else do we know about our future immortal bodies. Jesus preached to the believers that they will shine forth as the sun. Yes, you in in the kingdom of their father. Matthew 13 writes how brightly will you shine, we literally shine and this is literal absolutely absolutely literal effect when a glimpse from the biography of Moses and exit to chapter 34 is taken of the presence of the glory of God given a lot. As a result, when it comes out is to put a veil over spacious, not even need a transfigured transform you just been in the presence of the glory of God anddisease blinding the eyes of the Israelites. When the three disciples saw the glory of the resurrected transfigured Lord on that mountaintop and it was just for a few moments, the Lord revealed to them as it were, the glory of that body. The prototype glorified body were told in Matthew 17 that the face of Jesus shone like the sun is you in shone like the sun, and his clothing became as white as brilliant lights just like brilliant white blood listen you will one day be a brilliantly shining immortal when you reigned with Christ in the kingdom you will of been given this body and I believe when you walk by writing over those of populated come to faith in Christ and tribulation populate the earth. They're going to do this, you are a shining immortal future king and queen with Christ seated this promise is so much more than the fact that we will have any aches or pains or arthritis in bursitis and were looking for the 40 mean so much more that your body, which is not temporary, which is now we in sinful and struggling will be transformed in the power of his presence and by his creative might and you will become brilliant, sinless, glorious and eternal in that form. We have no idea, no idea the glory that he is reserved for us who believe. I think for a moment what it means for Jesus Christ to take the dust of our bodies.

Those in the church.

Those that died those that died, 100 years ago or a thousand years and reconstitute and refashion transform who you were into what you will become is going to discard your body he's going to transform your body. So in that transformation. Jesus Christ will create a will craft, so to speak, by the exertion of the power that is in him only this time he's going to work with material on hand that he has for all of the mystery of how you pull all of that together and even knowing where all is to work with material so that who you are, will be perfected in the who you will be is going to create in a way like it created Eve he worked with material on hand right rib taken from Adam's side.

I think that's a sermon in itself. By the way that from his head as if she should rule over him or from his feet as if he's not going to trample on her, but from his rib as if to say, she belongs at his side a little kid I read about that recently was running around the yard and developed a clamp in his side and he ran into the house and he said mommy I think I'm having wife got some of it right before I before I leave this discussion on the divine attributes of Christ is really to this miraculous recreation read the writings of surgeon. The believer really provoke my thinking just expanded the vision of what this verse means we share some of the body contains as many as 100 trillion cells. Each one of them carries out different chemical reactions that the resurrection would require phenomenal power to energize life transformation of all these individual cells, but would have to have to be done in such a way that all of the cells go back to doing what they did only perfected specialized nerve cells would resume their unique function part cells to perform there's blood cells. Bone cells are at death. He writes all these cells normally halt but the crumble into microscopic dust transformation resurrection would require that thousands of processes and trillions of cells must be put back together and then restarted all of this would require not just incredible power but also unimaginable knowledge is still a mystery to us. Have a cells in our bodies interact Jesus Christ then will have to know all the information and all the trillions of cells in each of our individual bodies and have the power to refashion all of it and then be able to restart all of it all in a moment of time, corrected this way to the Corinthians in the twinkling of just blink right now is pulling itself from perishable to this mortal will put on and we shall all be changed think this is what Paul may be alluding to the last part of that text that he will subject all things to himself.

Meaning that everything will come into subjection under his order literally is winking his arrangement, that is, every molecule every every cell, every strand of DNA every element range by our Creator God.

Well, I hope today's lesson has encouraged as we've looked at what's in store for us in heaven. You're listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi with today's lesson.

Stephen concludes a series he's been working through in Philippians chapter 3 called aiming higher. Today's lesson is called more than wishful thinking we've taken this series and bounded together as a set of CDs and would be happy to make it available to you. Our website is wisdom online.org and you'll see a link to our online store at the top of the page.

We can also help you if you call us today here in our office you can reach us at 86 648 Bible. That's 866-482-4253 friends the eternity that we've studied today is only possible because Jesus prepared the way for us if you haven't already done this today. Open up heart-to-heart magazine to page 22 and take a look at today's devotional. Jesus knew that what he had to do was something that only he could do in today's devotional. Jesus was preparing the disciples, and even though they couldn't understand it at the time. He assured them of his love for them and told them that what light ahead was something he had to do alone. Be sure and read that today. Now if you don't receive heart-to-heart magazine. We'd be happy to send you the next three issues that go out. This is a gift that we send to our wisdom partners but we be happy to show you some issues so that you can see it for yourself and be encouraged from God's word each day. You can sign up on our website. Once again, that's wisdom online.org you can also sign up on the wisdom international smart phone or you can call us today at tomorrow's broadcast Stephen answers some listener questions. So join us here on wisdom