An Encouraging Reminder

Welcome to this weekend's InTouch podcast with Charles Stanley.

Today's program helps to prepare for Easter. Remind yourself of what you have to look forward to as a born-again child of God.

If you have room who was facing the what would be the two things that you would be most concerned about what is not be the relationship to Jesus Christ and secondly would you ever see them again. That is the cross and the resurrection upon those two basic truths. The truth of the cross and the resurrection. All of Christian understands upon those two. And no matter what people may say what they may believe those two of the foundational truths affected Jesus Christ the son of God came into this world. For the primary purpose of dying for the sins of mankind and that would not be sufficient for unless there was proof living proof eternal proof while not place him in the same category with all of the prophets. The Bible says the third day he rose from the grave that he was seen by 500 at one time and then finally that as he ascended to the heavens.

This is the father's right hand. He was seen by multitudes, and that the angel said while you stand here gazing looking at this this same Jesus, whom you see here about rising will one day come again.

Do you believe that the truth is the crucifixion and the resurrection of the foundational truths without which, if you think about we just passing through life. Think about the confusion they would be here if there were no crucifixion and the resurrection.

Then the questions would be. Who is this God we serve. What are these promises he makes what is the purpose of life. When you remove the cross and the resurrection. Answer the question what is the purpose of life and so the question how much to spend my life. Answer the question what am I to do with those resources that God is placed at my disposal. What is it all about the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ are not just important not just paramount, they are the two foundational truths and when the apostle Paul was writing the wonderful little book of Philippians epistle to the Philippians eroded from a jail cell. Say, wasn't writing it from someone who is very wealthy and had all the answers to everything in life he was writing it from a person had a personal experience with this Christ, for whom he was suffering and in this particular little book, all of which is encouraging. There is a single passage that I was a look at because it deals with where all of us are, and then answer some questions about how we are to be living somewhat. You determine if you will. In this third chapter of Philippians.

Beginning in the 17th verse, because here he challenges us to follow his pattern of life and then he tells us about those who do not. And then he gives us a three wonderful things to think about. He says in verse 17 brethren join in the following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping that their enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite whose glory is in their shame and new set their minds on earthly things. So he so describe the world system in which you and I live then he says, on the other hand, for our citizenship is in heaven, which also we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state in the conformity with the body of his glory by the exertion of expression of the exercise of the power that he has even to subdue all things to himself now when he says, for example, in this passage that the we have a citizenship.

This is very very important in Paul's day because Philippi was a very special colony of Rome because they had been supportive and and the loyal in times of war. People who are citizens of Philippi were automatically citizens of the Roman Empire, which gave them great great opportunities and protection.

So when the apostle Paul writing to the Philippians they understood what citizenship was about. So he begins. If you notice here in this particular verse. He says for our citizenship is in heaven, which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, so ask your question as you become a citizen of heaven will some people trying to become a citizen of heaven by working for by their good deeds by the giving of their service in some way know it's their idea is if I'm good enough.

I will become a citizen of heaven. That is, I will get to heaven, one where the other.

The Bible is crystal clear. There is specifically clear about this. There is only one way to become a citizen of heaven, and that is to be born in. It's interesting that when the Nicodemus or the rulers of the Jews talking to Jesus.

That night he asked him he said, and in their discussion about the life and death and all the rest. And Jesus said, except a man or woman be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, nor can he enter the kingdom of God which was his way of saying the way you become a child of God and the way you get to heaven. What you become a citizen of heaven is that you are born into and so ultimately it all boils down to this. Good works will get you to heaven good deeds of any kind. No amount of giving the man a promising no matter of culture, nothing that a person can do and this is what caused Jesus to say, among many other reasons. He said I am the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father but by me. That is to come to the father is the coming of the kingdom to come into the kingdom of course is to have a place in heaven look in first Peter chapter 1 for a moment and the look, if you will, in verse three Blessed be the God and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Listen this to obtain obtain what to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. Think about that.

The Bible says we have a reward.

We have an inheritance is not an inheritance that we can lose it is an inheritance that is imperishable that is internal it is. There is so how do I get rewards in heaven is how you get them that you listen carefully save men by investing your life in three things loving other people giving and serving. Those are the three things that build inheritance of the kingdom of God. So think about this the fact that Jesus Christ is living inside of us.

We have the capacity to love people who are lovable and unloving.

We have the capacity to give to other people to the Lord's work here and around the world. We have the wonderful opportunity.

Every single one of us to serve the living God in some fashion had a re-serving by serving other people. You do have capacities you do have abilities God has gifted you to serve him, it would be totally out of the character of God is so make you and do so build you and this will create you and give you absolutely no way to serve him because loving and giving and serving.

That's who we are.

That's what we're about. Followers of Jesus Christ. Then he said something else. He will assume MNS. This he said our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So ask you this winter; Jesus coming again until this is where is that in your thinking and your and your daily thinking and your lifestyle and this is how he describes who we are to be and who we are. He says we eagerly await his return and if you think about when he left. Jesus didn't just leave at the dive. He was seen by the numbers of people in 500 and then the day he ascended there. Interesting that when he ascended the Angels were there and asked this question while you stand here gazing at the son of God, because this man, this Jesus, the son of God will come in like manner. That is, we have evidence that he lived that he died that he rose again and we have evidence that is coming back because most he has never lied to those there's not a single promise of the word of God that God has not kept and will not keep according to his time schedule and so Paul is in the Philippians body from a jail cell is as you know.

Thank God we are citizens of the kingdom of God. And we ought to be looking for and you can listen, you can tell for the person is not where they spend their time what they spend their time thinking about what they spend their money on all of these things are indications of who we are, we can say that we believe this, we are that avail. But how much of your time is given the thinking about Jesus and how you can serve him wake up on Monday morning, for example, wake up tomorrow morning and you got a lot of things in your mind already.

You are thinking about before you woke up uniting out of the bed you think about where is Jesus fit on any given morning of your life to his work processes is first of all we citizens of heaven, but not only that, he said being a citizen of heaven. He says we eagerly wait for his return. And then he says, speaking of Jesus, who will transform the body of a humble state and the conformity of the body of his glory by the exertion of expression.

Demonstration of his power that he has even to subdue all things unto himself. Now there are no challenges to Jesus Christ you will be the ultimate of what God intended. And so when we talk about changing our bodies go back to the 15th chapter. First of first reference from others because his rep.

Paul lived spends time in his letter describing what's going to happen to our bodies and so if you look at the 49th verse of this 15th chapter he wraps it up in one verse here when he says, just as we have borne the image of the earth that is the way we are now. We will also bear the image of the heavenly and so we don't have to be worried about that looks we get to heaven.

He says we going to be like him.

Can you beat that you can match that with anything so look, if you will.

In this 15th chapter now and let's start with verse 41 there is one glory and one son, and another glory of the moon. Another glory of the stars from stars different from stars in glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead speaking of the body is now the body is sown a perishable body we have sickness and death and civil so also is the resurrection of the dead is sown a perishable body was raised in imperishable body. It sown in dishonor all the things that happened was it is raised in glory is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body that is also spiritual body, so also it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam.

Speaking of Jesus became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural then the spiritual.

The first man is from the earth after the second man is from heaven as it is the earth and so also are those who are earthy and as is the heavenly, so also of those who are heavenly. Then he says in verse 50. Look at this I say this, rather than the flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, that is, will not all be dead when Jesus comes, but we will all be changed. How's that, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised. That is, these bodies raised imperishable, and we will be change for this perishable must put on the imperishable. This mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will or put on the imperishable. In this mortal phone immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Where is your sting. The sting of death is sin, the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, that is our body will be the body that our Lord determines that we don't look like for me to get to heaven, but in essence of what is composed of will be like the Lord Jesus Christ. He walked. He talked TA and symbols as we walk through doors. Well, the Bible doesn't really say that he walked through the door necessarily what you think you but I didn't exactly say liberty could if you wanted to.

The issue is, there is no limitation and think about this or is heaven going to be is not going to be part numbers earth and probably what God is working on. Even now the Bible says calls got an architect and builder. Then I want you to notice on the 15th verse says on the basis of who we are, on the basis of what God is working in our lives is what he says. Therefore, 50, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, be immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. So we call ourselves Christians. Followers of Jesus Christ. How would we be described. People who love who give who serve in the way we serve the most effectively is by our life demonstrating the life of Jesus Christ. By the way we give ourselves a way to share the gospel. The people who do not know the gospel. That's what Jesus told us that he sent his disciples out as messengers as those with truth that transforms people's lives that opens their hearts and minds to truth that transforms their life that makes it possible for them to have eternal security through the blood of Jesus Christ through the cross and through the resurrection.

So as we begin to major truths in all the world upon which everything stands is the cross of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world and the resurrection of Jesus Christ for the power in which we can live our life day by day. Now the Bible says it is a part of the men once to die, and after this the judgment. If he were to call you today. Would you be ready and I would ask you this question how did you get ready.

There is only one right answer is that you mean to tell me there's only one way to get to heaven right why was Jesus so narrowminded because, in his awesome wisdom about this in his awesome wisdom. He made one way and that way would be possible to every single person for his what he says if you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart. God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Another thousand way. There's only one way you can have the gift of eternal life. If you willing to acknowledge that he is your Savior and your Lord that you send against them rebelled against them and head your way as you think about it for just a moment heaven, God's awesome place of eternal life for all of us. He's made a place for us. There's a place in the book of life that your name could be inscribed there but until you come to the cross and believe in his resurrection that space will be empty. It is my prayer that you will make that decision and trust in your saving your Lord, that your name will be inscribed as a citizen of heaven. No one can erase everything change and you have thank you for listening to and encouraging reminding you like to know more about Charles Stanley are in touch ministries intact at OIG. This podcast is a presentation of intense ministries Atlanta, Georgia