Note: the following is the manuscript the message and will not match exactly the recorded message above.
Introduction
One day a young man came up to Jesus and asked, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
Jesus told him, “Do what God has commanded.” “I have kept all the commandments,” the young man said. “What else?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had many possessions and didn’t want to let them go.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for someone who is rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were amazed and asked, “Then who has any chance at all?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What will we get out of it?”
This is an important question for all who ponder a life of following Jesus. It’s important because of what Jesus asks of his followers.
Following Jesus requires far more than a slight adjustment to the way we live our lives. Jesus asks for our complete loyalty. But once you understand what you are getting in exchange for everything the world promises, you will see just how good of a deal you’re getting.
Jesus offers full citizenship in his kingdom and an inheritance we cannot imagine. Listen to his response to Peter’s question:
“Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me, and anyone who sacrifices because of me… will receive a hundred times as much as you have given up and will inherit eternal life.”
We have many privileges as citizens in one of the most prosperous countries in the world. For all the things we complain about, we really have much to be thankful for.
And yet, those who follow Jesus have dual citizenship.
Dual citizenship is when a person is a citizen of two countries. While Canada recognizes dual citizenship, not every country does. Some countries will require their people to give up their citizenship if they want to become a citizen of another country.
The most basic issue of dual citizenship is loyalty. If conflict breaks out between the two countries, which one will you be loyal to?
This is the issue that Paul is raising in our passage today.
Philippians 3:12–4:1 (NIV)
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
Philippi is a Roman city made up primarily of dedicated Roman citizens. Many of which are former or current military.
Many of the people who belonged to the church in Philippi would have been Roman citizens.
Yet, Paul is urging them to consider the kingdom of Jesus to be their primary citizenship. He is not asking them to reject their Roman citizenship, but when conflict arises, which it most certainly will, their loyalty needs to be to Jesus.
This requires having a mature kingdom mindset because when we are pulled in different directions, we need to be able to make wise decisions based on truth and not on how we feel in the moment or the pressure of others.
True maturity as a believer means to share a kingdom mindset, while recognizing the dual citizenship reality, and staying loyal to Christ.
Share a Kingdom Mindset
A kingdom mindset means being faithful today even though the promises of God are not yet fully experienced.
Notice, in this passage, how Paul moves between the idea of maturity and incompleteness.
He is referring back to his previous statement about knowing Christ through experiencing his suffering, death, and resurrection.
And in verse 12-14, he says that he has not yet fully attained it. Then in verse 15, he includes himself among those who are mature.
A mature kingdom mindset, then, is not perfection or completeness. It is making decisions and living according to what has been promised to us through Christ.
Recently, a small group of you went through a short study with me on Emotional Intelligence and Personalities. One of the things we discussed was the importance of emotional agility in developing Emotional Intelligence.
Emotional agility is the ability to face thoughts and feelings mindfully and act in line with our values rather than our emotions.
We do not dismiss our emotions, but we acknowledge that they do not accurately represent everything that is true about our situation.
Instead, we constantly go back to our values even though it might be difficult. This is what it means to be mature.
Another important element of maturity is acknowledging that not all of us have the same values. This is because we are all at different points on our journey with Jesus.
Paul says, referring to his previous statement about pressing on to win the prize, “if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”
In other words, live according to what God has made clear to you. And make room for those around you who are in a different place in their journey.
The important thing is to be seeking God’s direction which is done by knowing the Scriptures, prayer, and fellowship with other believers.
The second element in having a mature kingdom mindset is recognizing the dual citizenship reality.
Recognize the Dual Citizenship Reality
An important skill for becoming a mature Christian is being able accept that two seemingly contrary things can be true at the same time. This begins with accepting that Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
We can be both citizens of our world and also citizens of God’s kingdom. The issue is not with the dual citizenship, but with how we live when the two kingdoms ask competing things of us.
We do not live counter to the world by rejecting every element of our society but by rejecting the value systems of the world, the part of the world that “shakes its fist at God.”
He is not saying to live out our societies values in a “Christian” way, but to consider ourselves as first and foremost citizens of a kingdom that has greater authority and is more permanent than our nation.1
Paul shows us the way and says to the Philippians, follow me as I follow Christ.
It is a bold thing to say, “follow my example.” It is something I have contemplated for many years and have wondered how it’s possible for Paul to have such confidence that he is setting a good example for the Christians to follow.
What helps is to consider that he’s not saying he’s the perfect example. He’s offering himself as an example as opposed to other voices who claim to have a similar or higher level of authority.
There are religious and political leaders among them who are trying to lead the Philippians away from the true gospel.
Paul is saying, look at me, I have come from the same place these other men are coming from. I was at the top. I have Roman citizenship. I am highly educated and trained by the best.
I have given it all up for the sake of Christ. Follow my lead in my loyalty to the kingdom of Christ.
I want to boldly and humbly offer the same to you today. I do not claim to live a perfect life. If you imitate everything I do, you’ll probably get some things wrong.
But, imitate me in my loyalty to Christ and his kingdom. I have considered everything that our world calls power and success as nothing compared to knowing Christ.
The destiny of those who seek power, glory, and satisfaction through loyalty to the kingdom of the world is destruction. Those who chase after such things will probably get it, but that’s all they will get.
Let me share something about what this looks like in practice.
You have heard about the ladder of success. The further up you get, the better.
If success is climbing a ladder, only one person goes up at a time. And once you’re there, it’s too easy to claim the top for yourself, prevent others from getting there, and claiming that you’re the only one who can handle being up there.
But that’s not how Jesus defines success.
Jesus told his disciples: if you want to be great in my kingdom, become a servant. Better yet—become a slave to everyone.
Now, we think of servants as people with jobs in the service industry. Someone who waits tables or cleans.
But in the first century, servants and slaves had no autonomy. Their entire lives belonged to their masters.
So when Jesus said, “be a slave of all”—not just fellow believers, but everyone—it would have sounded like absolute nonsense.
He wasn’t just asking them to do service. He was telling them to become servants. To take on that identity.
Jesus shows us that we won’t find greatness by pursuing it the world’s way. Because here’s the truth: the “top” of the ladder is an illusion. There’s nothing there except more ladder.
So get off the ladder. Take a look around. On the ground is where you’ll find people to serve. That’s where you’ll find Jesus. That’s where his kingdom is.
Stay Loyal to Christ
This brings us to the final element of a mature kingdom mindset. It is loyalty to Christ.
In verse 20, Paul says that our citizenship is in heaven. What does that mean?
We tend to think of heaven as a place in the sky where God lives and where good people go when they die. That’s not exactly what Paul has in mind here.
The word for heaven in the Bible means a few different things. It can mean the sky, or the place of the sun, moon, and stars. It can also mean the location of divine beings.
When Paul talks about our “citizenship in heaven,” he’s being countercultural.
The Philippians were citizens of a Roman colony. They had rights and protections with Caesar as their lord.
But Paul says: your primary citizenship isn’t Roman. It’s heavenly. You’re citizens of Christ’s kingdom, living for Jesus, the true Lord of all creation.
And that citizenship comes with a promise: our Lord will come from the heavens to put things right in the world and gather his people to himself.
This is why the early Christians lived in anticipation—not with anxiety, but with joy.
They prepared themselves by living blameless, holy lives, knowing that Christ’s coming would be sudden, catching the world off guard in the middle of everyday activities.
So we wait patiently, but we wait expectantly. Our loyalty is to Christ. Our hope is in his return. And that changes everything about how we live today.
We need not be anxious about making the most of our lives because the best is yet to come. I’ve often thought about this as it relates to travel.
There are so many places in the world I would like to visit. Lynn and I had the privilege of visiting Greece and Turkey last month. It was a great experience that I wish everyone could enjoy.
The Sunday after we returned, one of you mentioned how you would love to go but probably won’t ever make it there. I responded by saying that they will get there, but perhaps only after Christ’s return.
You see, when he returns, he’s coming to renew this place because this is the location of his kingdom.
I grew up with the belief that God is going to destroy this world and make a new one. But then I learned what the Bible means when it says that Christ is making all things new.
In the story I read at the beginning of the message, Jesus said, Matthew 19:28 “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne…”
That word “renewal” has no implication of destruction in it. It implies reshaping, rebuilding, reconstruction of something that is already there.
He’s coming not to destroy but to renew and reestablish this earth as his kingdom. And we are all participating in this together.
It is possible that things will get far worse in this world before his return. Perhaps many places will get destroyed by war and violence. This is something that we could experience in our lifetime.
But, when Christ returns, he and his loyal citizens are going to participate in the greatest renovation project in history.
What we have in store for us is an eternity of unhindered fellowship with our Creator and Saviour who will show us how to truly live and enjoy this wonderful creation of his.
In the meantime, we are meant to live as loyal citizens of that kingdom even in the midst of great tribulation.
It is a kingdom not yet fully revealed, but increasingly evident the more we as a church come together as one body, one family, one kingdom.
We are citizens who care about nothing more than putting the love of the Father, the beauty of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit on display for all to see.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I want to challenge you to live with a mature kingdom mindset, always reminding yourself through Scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians of the eternal promises of God.
Evaluate the examples you are following and the loyalties you hold. You can look to me as an example and I’ll point you to Christ. There are other good examples in this church.
Don’t worry about everyone else out there on Instagram and TikTok. They’ll only distract you.
Evaluate your priorities. Are you working hard out of anxiety that you’re not going to get enough, experience enough, or prove yourself enough? Allow your heavenly citizenship to guide your priorities.
And, as a church, let us continue to live as a light in this dark world. Let’s show people the love of the Father, the beauty of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
We will close now with a beautiful song that starts with these words:
Mine are days that God has numbered;
I was made to walk with Him
Yet I look for worldly treasure
and forsake the King of Kings
But mine is hope in my Redeemer
though I fall His love is sure
For Christ has paid for every failing;
I am His forevermore
- George H. Guthrie, Philippians, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2023), 268. ↩︎