Sermon - Kingdom Obedience: "Citizens of Heaven" Series

Sermon Outline
Focus: Because of what Jesus has already done for us, obedience is not
how we earn salvation—it’s how we reveal that God is at work within us.
As citizens of Heaven, we shine in a dark world when our surrendered
lives reflect His grace, truth, and joy.

I. Obedience is the outworking of what God has done in you (vv. 12–13)
       We don’t work for salvation—we work it out.
       Salvation is a gift of grace through Jesus (Romans 3:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
       God is already at work in you: Giving you new desires & empowering your
              obedience
       Not try harder… surrender deeper.

II. Obedience makes the Gospel visible in a crooked world (vv. 14–16)
       “Do everything without grumbling or arguing…”
       We shine when we live differently: In how we respond, how we speak, how we love
       We are not shaped by the spirit of the age, but by the reign of King Jesus.
       You don’t shine by arguing with darkness – you shine by being different.

III. Obedience leads to joy-filled sacrifice (vv. 17–18)
       Paul’s life was being “poured out…” yet he rejoiced.
       When life is about you → obedience feels like loss
       When life is about the Kingdom → obedience becomes joy

IV. Where have you been treating casually what cost Jesus everything?

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Have you ever heard the statement, do as I say, not as I do? Maybe from a parent, a coach, a boss, or maybe you're a parent of four kids and you've said it to one of your kids over the course of the past several seasons. Do as I say, not as I do. That doesn't, it's really not a good approach to life, is it? Do as I say, not as I do. And the reason I say that is because hear me, people don't just listen to what you say. More importantly, they watch how you live.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Welcome to the Church of the Lakes weekly sermon podcast. We're so glad that you've joined us, and we're honored to be part of your spiritual journey. Today, Pastor Jared Priestett continues our new sermon series, Citizens of Heaven, using the book of Philippians, written by the Apostle Paul. Today's message is titled Kingdom Greatness. True greatness in God's kingdom is not found in elevating yourself, but by humbling yourself to serve others. When we follow Jesus, who laid his own life down for us, we discover a better way to live and a greater purpose to pursue. And now, here's Pastor Jared. Be blessed.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

We are in the midst of a series of messages we started four weeks ago called Citizens of Heaven. What we've been doing is just systematically walking through Paul's letter to the church in Philippi to the Philippians. And what makes this letter so astounding, at least at face value, is the fact that Paul is writing this letter while sitting in a prison cell being persecuted for his faith, being persecuted for his bold witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet, even though that's his context and his company, the letter just overflows with joy. Joy just jumps off the page nearly in every verse of this particular letter, which begs the question, how? How can Paul speak of such joy in the midst of such a dire circumstance, filled with suffering and uncertainty? Well, the answer to that question is what we keep coming back to each and every week, and it's simply this your joy, church, will always rise or fall with whatever kingdom you're living for. Let me say it again. Your joy will always rise or fall with whatever kingdom you're living for. So if you're living for a kingdom of this world, let's say you're trying to build a kingdom for your own self that is rooted in, I don't know, reputation or success or comfort or maybe financial stability. If that's the kingdom you're living for, that you've rooted yourself in, your joy will always be fragile. And the reason being is those things are all fragile, are they not? Comfort, reputation, success, financial stability. However, if you root your life in the kingdom of God, a kingdom, hear me, that is immovable, that is unshakable, that is steady, that will endure forever, guess what? Your joy will always be steadfast and immovable and will endure forever because it's not rooted in your context, your circumstances, or the company you're keeping. It is rooted in your proximity to Jesus, who is king of kings within that kingdom. And so when we do that, when we can live as citizens of heaven within the world in which we live today, we may not do it perfectly every day, but we're gonna do it distinctly. We're gonna do it in a way where we shine like stars. And that's where Paul's leading us in today's lesson, which is out of Philippians 2, starting in verse 12. Uh, I want to have a conversation with you today about how part of living within the confines of the kingdom of God, being these citizens of heaven that we're called to be, one of the ingredients is this the need for obedience. We need to be people who are obedient to the king in which we serve. If you've brought your Bibles today, open them up to Philippians 2, starting in verse 12. I know we've been trying to get you to bring your Bibles to church. I'll certainly use the ones in front of you if you need it. Um, but if you brought your Bible, open it up with me. If you need a Bible, see me after service. I'm gonna give you one. Uh we're the church. We put the word of God in people's hands, amen. Philippians 2, starting in verse 12. Listen to Paul's words as he's writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Paul says, Therefore, my beloved, just if you just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do nothing then, or I'm sorry, do all things without arguing or grumbling, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a libation, that's drink offering over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad, and I rejoice with all of you, and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me. Friends, this is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Will you pray with me? Holy God, I thank you for this day. What a rich service this has already been. God, we thank you for our worship leadership, for our musicians, for those who serve in that capacity to lead us in the presence of God, the presence of you. We God, we thank you for your life-giving word and the chance to be able to proclaim it in such a public and visible place. And I just ask now, God, as I offer reflection on your life-giving word, that the Holy Spirit would fall afresh on me, that the words would be your words, and that our thoughts as we receive those words would be your thoughts. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard the statement? And I know you've heard it, but I'm gonna ask it anyways. Have you ever heard the statement, do as I say, not as I do? Maybe from a parent, a coach, a boss, or maybe you're a parent of four kids and you've said it to one of your kids over the course of the past several seasons, do as I say, not as I do. That doesn't, it's really not a good approach to life, is it? Do as I say, not as I do. And the reason I say that is because hear me, people don't just listen to what you say. More importantly, they watch how you live. In fact, studies have shown that for people to form impressions and opinions of other people, they form those impressions and opinions long before people speak words. They form them in how the people carry themselves or how they act. Friends, people are never listening to your message as much as they're reading and trying to listen to your life. And I think for the people of God, people that are trying to be citizens of heaven, this can create a little bit of tension for us. And the reason I say that is because we proclaim a gospel that can transform life. And I will go to my grave with that declaration. The gospel of Jesus Christ can transform our lives. Now, with that said, we say that with our mouth while living lives that do one of two things, either confirm that message or contradict that message. Am I right? And if we're honest, where there's that gap between what we say and how we live, that gap is not just an effort problem. It's deeper than that. It is actually a heart problem. And I say that because we don't drift into contradiction between our message and our lives because we forget about God's rules and God's law. We drift into contradiction, church, because we have lost sight of the reality of who God is and what God has actually done in our lives. So here's the question for this morning that we got to wrestle with. Do we really understand what God has done for us and in us? Because when we do, and that reality grips our heart the way it's supposed to, everything shifts. The message that we speak from our mouth becomes consistent and aligned with the message we declare with our lives. We even begin saying things like this God, you have done something so great, so holy, so undeserved in me, I dare not treat it casually anymore. And Paul says, when we get that, when we fix the heart, a heart like that produces a life that shines. But it really is rooted in this idea of obedience, the need to be obedient children of God, citizens of heaven. There's three things I want to share this morning to you about obedience. And the first is this I think when it comes to kingdom obedience, kingdom obedience is really nothing more than the outworking of what God has already done inside of you. Obedience is the outworking of what God has already worked out in you. Paul says in the first verse of this uh particular passage of scripture, he says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Did you hear what he didn't say? He didn't say work for your salvation in fear and trembling. He said, work out your salvation. Let's be clear, because this can be where it gets a little confusing for us as the people of God. Listen, Christianity is not like every other religion, it is not about a self-improvement project. Christianity is primarily not about behavior modification or moral achievement. Hear me, you are not justified by your obedience. You are justified by the finished work of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus took your sin. He paid your debt, my debt, in full with the shedding of his blood. And in his resurrection, guess what? We have been given his righteousness. Why? So we can stand before the living God one day. Not based on our performance, but based on Christ's perfection. 2 Corinthians 5.21. If you had your Bibles with you today, I'd have you underline that verse. 2 Corinthians 5.21, Paul says it this way: He says, God made him, him being Christ, who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. So hear this clearly. You are saved by what Jesus has already done on your behalf. Every other religion, salvation is gained by do. The word do, do-o, do, do, do, do, do. That's not Christianity. The word we declare is done. D-O-N-E, what Christ has done on our behalf. Listen, some of you are carrying a weight on your shoulders right now that the Lord never wanted you to carry. You know how we do it? We think it's all about behavior modification, and we slip up and we're like, all right, Lord, I see the inconsistency, I see the gap. So I'm gonna work as hard as I can to make my life more aligned. And I promise you, not only am I gonna work hard, I'm gonna do it right this time. And what happens? It works for a while, but then you trip up, you fail, you fail, you fall, you sin. And it's like, oh, you feel bad about it. You're like, all right, Lord, I'm never gonna do that again. I promise you, I'm gonna do it right this time. And you do it right for a while, but then what happens? Because you're doing it in your own strength, you eventually stumble and fail and fall and sin again. And it's this cycle, this cycle of dysfunction that we do over and over and over. And Jesus is standing before you saying, Stop. Stop. It's already been done. You don't gain salvation through your work, you gain it through the work that I have done for you. Paul again, he says, work it out. Work it out. What God has already done in you, Paul is saying, now let it be seen to the world around you through you. Think about a seed that's being planted in the ground. How many gardeners do we have here? Plants go to the priesthood household to die, so we are not. We're like hospice to the plant world. But many of you have a green thumb. We don't. But think about a seed being planted in the ground. Everything for that seed to mature and blossom into something amazing is all contained within that seed, right? It just needs to be cultivated in order for it to grow. The same is true with our salvation, our spiritual vitality. Everything we need to grow into the mighty people of God that God has called us to be, we have contained within us because we have the Holy Spirit in us. All it takes is for us to cultivate and to nurture so that can be grown in us and through us. So, what does it mean to work it out? What does it mean to work out your salvation? How do you cultivate this seed that's been planted within our souls that has everything we need to be the mighty people of God that God has claimed and called us to be? It's simple. Here it is. When the Holy Spirit convicts you, don't ignore it. Repent. When the word of God confronts you, don't resist it, don't dismiss it. Submit to it. When God calls you, don't delay. Obey. Again, it's not going to be done perfectly in a moment, but it's going to be done consistently as we move toward Christian perfection, entire sanctification. Listen, obedience is not how you gain salvation. Obedience is how salvation gets out of you into the world around you. So Paul moves on. Work out, not for, but work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Fear and trembling. That's not panic. That's not a concern that you're going to lose your salvation at any given moment. What fear and trembling means, it means reverence. It's waking up to this reality of grace and saying, Wow, God, you have done something so great, so holy, so undeserved, that I dare not treat it casually anymore. Then Paul speaks of the power source that's behind our working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Verse 13, he says, For it is God who works in you.

unknown 14:52

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Praise be to God for that one. Well, you mean me working out my salvation isn't contingent on my strength, on my abilities, on my efforts? No. God is working it out in you. Your job and my job is simply to partner alongside what God is working out in us. I think for me that changes everything. One, it takes the stress of having to execute results because it's God in me that's going to produce the results. It's just simply me partnering with what God is doing. Listen, Christianity is not just about what we do for God. Again, it is about what God is doing inside of us. So what exactly is God doing inside of us? Well, the very first thing He's doing inside of us is awakening us to our need for salvation. Look, I don't care how wise and full of wit you are, how high your IQ is, how strong you are, you did not come to the awareness of your need for salvation on your own. That was illuminated to you by the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that awakened in you this desire for a savior, this reality that, yeah, you are actually a broken human being, and your only way to a prosperous future is through relationship with Jesus Christ. You did not come to God on your own. It is God who opened the eyes of your heart. He showed you your sin. He revealed to you your need, and he is the one who made Jesus beautiful to you. The Spirit awakens us to our need for salvation. The Spirit also changes our desires. This is the process of transformation. Like Paul goes, it God works in you to will. This means God gives you new desires, gives you a hunger and thirst, maybe for righteousness, gives you a sensitivity toward sin, a longing to please him. Friends, this is not behavior modification. This is a new life that is welling up inside of you because of the God who is working in you and through you. The other thing the Spirit does, one more, is empowers your obedience. This is a process of sanctification. So God works in you not only to will, but also to work. Like again, you're not left to your own devices. It's not contingent solely on your strength, what you can produce. The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, here this truth lives inside of each and every one of you who is a Christian. So obedience is not, oh, I hope I can do better this time. I hope I don't fall flat on my face. I hope I got the strength I need to endure. No, it's God is already at work in me. Therefore, my job is simply to follow his promptings, follow his leading, follow his purposes. Again, don't get caught up in that cycle of I'm going to try harder and be able to modify behavior to please the Lord. It doesn't work that way. It's just this perpetual cycle of dysfunction. And the reason I say that is because friends, willpower maybe can modify behavior for a moment, but your willpower, my willpower, we it cannot change the heart. It can't. Only the Spirit of God can do that. You know, um only the Spirit of God can do that. Paul says, work it out, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So what do we need to do this? How do we work it out if it's not behavior commodification, if it's not us uh white knuckling our way to being aligned with God's will, ways, and word for us? It's surrender. It's a word we talked about a lot during the Latin season. It's a deeper surrender. It's not God, I'm gonna try harder for you this time. It's simply God, I need you. I am a broken mess, and I need you, and the only way I'm gonna get fixed is if you put me back together, right? I need you. God, whatever you say, I'll do. Spirit, lead me today because if I'm left to my own devices, I'm gonna go in a pathway that that is not gonna be becoming of a person of God, a citizen of heaven. You know, maybe for you where you need the Lord's, the Spirit to take hold of your life has to do with your filthy mouth. Right? You you you you work in a context at the office and everybody swears like sailors, and you've fallen into the trap of doing the same thing, and you're like, I'm just gonna compartmentalize that. It's just gonna be at work that I talk like that so I can relate to everyone at the office. But but here's the thing, you one, you shouldn't do that. But but say you do that, and that's your rationale, you go home, and guess what starts popping at home up at home? The same language you're using in the office. And now your kids are starting to use that same language. Do as I say, not as I do? Huh. Again, it doesn't work, does it? No, you take the Holy Spirit, get a hold of my tongue. So, regardless of the context and company I'm with, my words will be edifying and encouraging and build people up and not tear people down. Maybe for you it's um uh I don't know, your thought life. Left on your own, your your mind goes to dark places it shouldn't go, and you know it shouldn't go there, and you can't will yourself to looking into the light, so you gotta say, Lord, I need you. Help me take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ Jesus. Lord, I need you. Or maybe it's simply how you handle your stress or your relationships or your finances. Listen, when you partner with what God is trying to do in and through you, your life begins to change. You begin to shine like the stars you have been called to shine like. Because here's the thing, when you do that, the gospel doesn't remain hidden in you. It starts being demonstrated through you, which is the second point of obedience. Obedience, hear me, makes the gospel visible in a crooked and perverse world. Look what Paul says in verse 14 do all things without grumbling or arguing. He didn't say do some things when it's easy. He says do all things without grumbling and arguing. Why? It's because obedience to God shows up clearly, most clearly, in the everyday moments of life. And when you're consistently obedient in the everyday moments of life, when bigger moments happen, the obedience shines through. Like how you respond when things go wrong or when you're caught off guard. Or how you speak when you're frustrated, or how you act when nobody else sees you acting. Now we live in a crooked and perverse world, don't we? Man, it is bent toward evil, it is warped, it is off-center, and I think it's so easy that if Christians are not attentive to it, it's so easy for us to get pulled in to the same patterns of the world, to be conformed by the same patterns of the world. Friends, even though we're Christians, that doesn't mean we're immune from the allure or the temptation or the shiny objects of our culture. We have to To stand vigilant and partner with what God is doing in us. Because if we don't, you know what happens? We start to complain like everyone else. We start to react to things like everybody else. We start to value what everyone else values. And then suddenly we wake up and guess what? The church and the world, there's no contrast between the two. We no longer are shining like stars. I mean, take the arena of politics for a moment. I know Tuesday is primary day. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you who to vote for. But just take the arena of politics for a moment. If we're honest, the inconsistencies of what we believe as Christians and how we act in the political realm shows up very clearly, doesn't it? I see this pretty blatant on social media platforms. I don't ever post anything politically on social media platforms. This is for one of the reasons why, is because I'd probably get sucked in to the conversation in an unhealthy way. But I see a lot of people who do get sucked into it start raging like everyone else is raging. Start using dividing, divisive rhetoric like everybody else is using, start demonizing the other like everyone else is doing. And somewhere along the way, we as a church, we started confusing being loud with being faithful. But friends, here's the thing: the kingdom of God does not advance. Hear me. It does not advance through outrage, slander, and fear. Paul doesn't say win every argument at all costs. He doesn't say win every argument, regardless of how much mug you sling at your opponent. He says, do all things without grumbling and without arguing. Because listen, how we speak is part of the way of how we shine. If the only difference between us and the world is what side we're on, and not how we love, not how we care for one another, not how we carry ourselves, not how we speak, then friends, we have lost what makes us distinct. We are not first citizens of a political party or even a country for that matter. If you are here and you are a Christian, you are first and primarily a citizen of heaven, called to live distinctly from the world in which we find ourselves in this present moment. I know what you're thinking. Yeah, but you don't understand. It's so divisive right now. This is the worst culture the world has ever seen in the course of human history. And I'm thinking, are you serious? Have you picked up a history book? Because I'm here to say, I would argue that the early church faced a far darker culture and a far more depraved society than any of us are encountering right now. I mean, the Roman Empire for the longest time was an impenetrable force. They were a depraved society that could not be changed. They couldn't. But somehow along the way, the church was able to crack into it and make transformative changes and differences within the Roman Empire. And you know what? They didn't do it by taking Rome's power. You know how they did it? By demonstrating a different kind of power. Here's what they did. Here's what the church did during the Roman Empire. They rescued abandoned babies. You know, abortion was done different back then. Women would actually carry and then bear children, but if they didn't want the child, you know what they would do? They'd throw it in the garbage dump in an alley in the cities of the Roman Empire. And what the church would do is they would send platoons of wet nurses and they would swoop those children up in those alleyways and nurse them back to health and then bring them into a new family called the church. You know what else they did? They honored life in a disposable culture. They treated their bodies modestly. They lived sacrificially with their time, their treasures, and their talents. They endured suffering with joy. And the world looked at the church and they said, What's different about these people? Like, how can they live with so much joy, so much resolve, so much conviction in the midst of what they're facing? I mean, even in the face of their persecutors, they're wishing goodwill on them. That's how they penetrated the impenetrable Roman Empire at that time and transformed it from the inside out. So how are we to do it today? Within our context. Well, I think we do the same thing they did. We stand with the vulnerable. We look after orphans and widows in their distress. I think we give voice to the voiceless. We defend the rights of the unborn. The most vulnerable human being in existence is the unborn. We open our homes to children in foster care. We notice the overlooked and the grieving, and we come alongside them. And we be a source of encouragement and support and compassion for them. Listen, the kingdom of God is always bent toward the vulnerable. You don't, church, you don't shine like stars by arguing with darkness. You shine like stars by living differently. You hold fast to the truth, you stay rooted in God's word, you live with consistency, and when you do, again, you shine like stars. This leads to the third piece of obedience. Obedience, Paul says, leads, hear this, to joy-filled sacrifice. I love it. Verse 17 and 18, Paul says, even if I'm being poured out like a libation, a libation is a drink offering. Paul is insinuating his life is a sacrifice to the Lord. So even if I'm being poured out, Paul says, hear this, I still rejoice. He's talking about a life that is spent for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he calls it joy. Why? I think it's because obedience, friends, has aligned his life to something eternal. Listen, when life is all about you, obedience feels like loss. But when life is all about the kingdom of God, obedience becomes joy. Because you're no longer asking the question, what will this cost me? You're beginning to ask the question, what is this worth in the kingdom of God? And that paradigm switch, that protect perspective shift changes everything. Friends, let me be clear in closing. You cannot obey your way to salvation. You can't. The reason being is your problem is not surface, it's not just simply your behavior. Your problem is your heart. And your heart needs redemption. As my heart needs redemption. That's why Jesus came. Jesus came and lived the life you and I could not live. Perfectly obedient. He died the death you and I were destined to die. And he rose from the grave three days later to offer you and me new life. The blood of Jesus paid for your sin. The resurrection of Jesus gave you new life. And the Spirit of Jesus gives you the power to walk differently. Friends, how can we look at that casually anymore? The world is already reading your life more than they're hearing me preach. So let's live like this is true, that God has done something so great, so holy, so undeserved, that we can't treat it casually anymore. Regardless of our circumstance, our context, or our company. This morning I want to give you a chance to respond to the message. And the way we're going to respond is by partaking in the Lord's Supper. And the reason is because it's at the table where we see what the cost of our salvation was. The body of Christ broken for you. The blood of Christ shed for you. So will you do me a favor in this moment? Will you examine your hearts before we come to this table? Where is God, friends, calling you to surrender? Where have you been trying to do it on your own in your own strength and you keep falling short? That's what God is asking you to surrender to Him right now. And instead to partner with the work He is already doing in and through you. Where is God calling you to surrender? Whatever that is, bring it to the altar today. Listen, some of you maybe it's because you need to receive grace for the first time. For others of us, it's simply going to be a renewed surrender. But all of us, we're going to come with this prayer on our hearts, Lord, my life is now yours. I am no longer my own, but thine. For I freely and I heartedly yield all things to thy pleasure and thy disposal. Church, don't come to the table casually. Come obediently, come gratefully, come honestly, come surrendered. Come remembering what Christ has done for you and respond to that gift by giving him your life. Will you pray with me? Gracious Father, we come before you now with humble and honest hearts. Lord, we confess that too often we have treated casually what cost Jesus everything. We have said one thing, we've lived another. We've have resisted in one thing when you've called us to obey. We have relied on our own strength instead of surrendering to your spirit. Lord, will you forgive us? Will you forgive us and search our hearts and reveal anything in us that does not reflect your kingdom? And God, in your mercy, remind us again of what you have done for us in Christ. That through his body and his blood we are indeed forgiven. We are made new, we are brought near. So now, God, as we come to your table, we do not come casually. We come as an act of surrender. We come as those kneeling before our King. We we come saying, Jesus, you are Lord and my life is yours. So by the power of your Holy Spirit, God, shape our hearts in this moment so that obedience would not be forced, but would rather flow naturally from your grace at work within us. God, as we receive the bread and the cup, renew our faith, restore our joy, strengthen our resolve to work in your ways, to walk in your ways. Make us a people who do not just hear your word, but who love it. God, we surrender our lives to you again, and we pray this all in the name of Jesus Christ, who is indeed your Son and our Savior. And all God's people said, Amen.

SPEAKER_00 33:17

Thank you for listening to the Church of the Lakes podcast with Pastor Jared Preeset. If today's message encouraged you and helped you grow as a devoted follower of Christ, we invite you to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also help others discover this podcast by leaving a five-star rating or review and sharing it with your friends, family, co-workers, and others in your circle of influence. We're also very grateful for your generosity, which helps make messages like this available to more people. If you feel led to give, please check the link in the description. And if you're in the Kent, Ohio area, we'd love to invite you to join us in person on Sunday and worship together. To learn more about Church of the Lakes, visit churchofthelakes.org or click the website link in the description. Until next time, stay encouraged and keep walking in faith.