Our Citizenship

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 13th of September, 2026.  If all went well, a recording of the service may be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams for the older services or https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch3115/streams for later services.]

When I’m doing a memorial service for a dearly departed, I like to mention that the date of birth and the date of death are separated by only a little dash.  But that short dash represents every breath we took on this earth, every second of our life here, every beat of our heart.  I also feel that the dash is representative of our life span, for our life here on earth is very short when compared to our next life, which will last forever.

For those of us who follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord, that everlasting life will be in heaven - our true home.  We’re just passing through here, pilgrims wandering through this wilderness, so to speak, seeking a new land to migrate to.  Our permanent address lies elsewhere.

There's been a lot of talk about citizenship in recent years, stirred mostly by illegal immigration.  Now we're seeing a debate over ending what has been called "birthright citizenship".  When we look at how poorly some people fare in other parts of the world, we can understand why they would want to become US citizens.  While our country certainly isn't perfect, it is far better than many and opportunities for self-improvement still abound here.

Personally, I am proud to be a citizen of the United States of America.  I love our country, and especially our Constitution, and I defend both when the need arises.  But honestly, I know that this is not my home.  Yes, I was born here, and yes, I'll likely die here.  But that's when I'll truly go home.

The Apostle Paul knew what I'm talking about.  He felt what I feel.  Please listen and follow along to what Paul wrote to the church in Philippi in Macedonia, as I read from chapter 3 verse 1 and verses 17 through 21 and the 1st verse of chapter 4 of the Apostle’s Letter to the Philippians, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under his control.

4:1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

--Philippians 3:1,17-21;4:1 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for adopting us as Your children so that we have a home to come to when this life is over.  By our belief in and acceptance of Your Son Jesus, You allow us to come home to live with You and Him forever.  We thank You, Father, for loving us so much and giving us such a great gift.  So Father, please open our hearts to receive Your message this morning.  Touch each of us with Your most Holy Spirit that we might be moved to help others find their way home to You, too.  In the precious name of Christ Jesus we pray.  Amen.

James Packer, English-born Canadian evangelical theologian and author, in his book Your Father Loves You, wrote:

“We know very little about heaven, but I once heard a theologian describe it as ‘an unknown region with a well-know inhabitant’, and there is not a better way to think of it than that.

Richard Baxter expresses the thought in these lines:

‘My knowledge of that life is small,

The eye of faith is dim,

But it's enough that Christ knows all,

And I shall be with Him.’

To those who have learned to love and trust Jesus, the prospect of meeting Him face to face and being with Him forever is the hope that keeps us going, no matter what life may throw at us.”

One of the benefits of any homecoming, any time we come home, is to see familiar faces again.  When we do finally go home, we will see a face we’ve never seen before.  We’ve see it depicted in paintings and movies and TV shows, but we have never laid eyes on the actual face, the face of our Lord Jesus.

It’s that face we long to see, and that longing that gives us hope and keeps us going.  Some day, when we close our eyes for the last time on this earth, we will open them again and see that glorious face.  For those who believed, the face will be smiling.  And Jesus will say, “Welcome home.”

In our passage this morning of his letter to the Philippians, Paul states that we are citizens of heaven.  We’re not citizens of Israel or Greece or really even the United States.  We are citizens of heaven.  Heaven is our homeland.  So we should act like it.

Now, our bible, and especially the writings of Paul, has many examples and instructions as to just how we Christians should behave, so Paul doesn’t need to elaborate here.  But he pretty much sums it up when he encourages us to “stay true to the Lord”.  Stay true to the Lord, and focus on the things of heaven.  Keep our eyes on Jesus and focus on the things of home.

Jesus clearly knew where His home was.  During our Lord's farce of a trial, Pontius Pilate asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?"…

36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, My followers would fight to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But My Kingdom is not of this world.”

37 Pilate said, “So You are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked.

--John 18:36-38a (NLT)

That comes from verse 23 through the first part of verse 38 of the 18th chapter of the Apostle John’s Gospel account.

I don’t think Pilate understood.  Jesus is our King, the One we worship and serve.  His kingdom, His home, is not of this world.  So our kingdom, our home, is not of this world.

Like so many others today, Pilate couldn't accept that there is absolute truth, even when it was staring him in the face.  An earthly authority, bound up by worldly concerns, could not see the truth of God's kingdom.

Reaffirming that this world is not our home, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote in the 11th chapter and 13th verse that we are "foreigners and nomads here on earth".  (Hebrews 11:13c (NLT))  He followed that up in verses 11 through 17 of his 13th chapter when he wrote…

11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make His people holy by means of His own blood. 13 So let us go out to Him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

--Hebrews 13:11-17 (NLT)

This world is not our permanent home.  We are looking forward to a home yet to come.  There's our challenge.  Let us offer ourselves - our time, our resources - in service to Jesus.  And let us go outside the camp, out into the greater community, to share our witness.

In a little while we’ll all go back home and maybe kick off our shoes and relax a bit.  And then, in a little while, we’ll go to our true, permanent home.  That is where all our treasure is laid up, waiting for us, where thieves can’t take it, moths can’t eat it, and rust can’t ruin it.  We’ll be home forever with our Lord and Savior.

Oh what a glorious day that will be.  But until that time, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and on service to our Lord.  And let’s act like Christians are supposed to act.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who has our home all prepared for us.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for creating us in Your image, and having pity on us even when we sinned.  You made a way for us to be able to come back to our true home, even though we don’t deserve it.  Please help us keep our faith in our Lord, Your Son, strong.  Help us show the world Your love by sharing Jesus with all we encounter during our walk through this life.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment so that each of us can speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your and our Lord’s commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, before You left us to go home to heaven, You promised that You would prepare a place for us there, for when we, too, come home.  Thank You for the promise that fuels our hope, knowing that we will live for all eternity with You and our Father God in heaven.  But until that time comes, Lord, please help carry out the mission You gave us.  Help us show our love for others by sharing the Good News of an everlasting home in heaven that awaits all who come to You.  Help us seek the lost and lead them to You.

Holy Spirit, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.