Advancing towards eternity Philippians 3 20 21 Advancing

Advancing towards eternity Philippians 3: 20 - 21

Advancing towards eternity Moving forward as a Church we need to be people who are: �Vision driven �Instructed in the Word �Trained in righteousness �Advancing towards eternity �Leaving a legacy

Advancing towards eternity Citizenship �Paul says that our citizenship is in heaven – what does that mean? �A citizen is a person who legally belongs to a country �A citizen has the rights and protection of that country �A citizen is encouraged to adopt the culture and practices of the nation or kingdom to which they belong

Advancing towards eternity Which kingdom are we citizens of? �All of us are born into the kingdom of Satan because of our inherent sinful nature �When we are born again of the Spirit of God we are transferred from Satan’s kingdom into the Kingdom of God – Colossians 1: 13

Advancing towards eternity What sort of kingdom are we citizens of? �A Kingdom of light, love, mercy and grace �A Kingdom that reflects the nature of its King – exemplified by Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5: 1 – 13 (the Beatitudes) �A Kingdom that has come and is coming, now and not yet – 1 John 3: 1 - 2 �An eternal Kingdom �A Kingdom that is within you – Luke 17: 20 21

Advancing towards eternity The challenges for today �As citizens of heaven are we living lives that reflect the values of the King? – 1 Peter 2: 9 �Are we eagerly awaiting the King’s return? - 1 Thessalonians 5: 4 - 11 �Are we working and praying to see His return? �Are we so captivated by a vision of God and heaven that we long to see them?