Title of Sermon: Citizens of Heaven 21 August 2016 Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21 Preacher: Rev Wendy Watson Reflections by Mr Stephen Chew

Transcription

1 Title of Sermon: Citizens of Heaven 21 August 2016 Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21 Preacher: Rev Wendy Watson Reflections by Mr Stephen Chew Introduction Pastor brought up Prime Minister Lee s invitation to the White House and Joseph Schooling s first Singapore Olympic gold medal as two recent events that have made Singaporeans proud of their country but as Christians our citizenship here on earth is temporary. We actually belonged to Heaven and we are eternal citizens of God s Kingdom. Scriptures text Philippians 3:20-21 was read and Pastor prayed for our minds to be able to comprehend the power that is able to raise Jesus from the dead, enable God to bring everything under His control and change our mortal bodies into glorious bodies.

2 1. Sitting On the Fence Is Not An Option Pastor shared she was born in another country but her heart was in Singapore and she yearned to study in Singapore then. She actually wanted to live and belonged here as she admired how the country was run. As soon as she was able, her husband and her came to Singapore in She got her PR fairly quickly and wanted to apply for citizenship. Many people questioned her why does she need to become a citizen as she could enjoy the best of both worlds if she sit on the fence by holding onto her PR and could take out her CPF money upon retirement. She did not feel it is right to sit on the fence. She was fully convinced that she needs to fully identify with the flock in order to plant the flag here. Sitting on the fence is not an option. After all, Jesus did not sit on the fence.

3 2. Jesus Took Position On Our Side Of The Fence In Philippians chapter 2, Paul wrote that even though Jesus was God with divine rights and privileges, He made Himself nothing and take the nature of a slave in human likeness. In the beginning of time, God made us, we human beings, in His likeness. Now God is lowering Himself to take on our human likeness which is frail and could die. Jesus also humbled Himself by being obedient to death on a cross. Jesus did not sit on the fence. Furthermore, Jesus came from Galilee to Jordon to be baptised by John the Baptist. John the Baptist knew who Jesus was and there was no need for Him to be baptised to repent and be cleansed of His sins as Jesus was without sin. Jesus took position on our side of the fence in order to fully identify with us.

4 3. A Promise We Can Look Forward To Pastor shared she took up Singapore citizenship about 11 years ago. The process was not easy and it was a bit frightening to her as she had renounced every right and break every tie with the country of her birth. She also had to surrender every piece of paper eg birth certificate and passport that identified her with the country. It took two years to process her renunciation papers and during this period, she had to depend on a letter of promise from the Singapore Government. It was only at the citizenship ceremony that she swore allegiance and loyalty to Singapore and received her citizenship papers. In a way, our baptism and confirmation effectively submit our papers of renunciation and swore our allegiance to Jesus and loyalty to His Kingdom. As a people belonging to God, we have promised Him not to sit on the fence with regards to our belief system, our worldview, our loyalty and our behaviour. Our citizenship has been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. We have sworn to serve one Lord who is Jesus Christ. We are also told we are now seated in the heavenlies by faith. This is a promise we can look forward to, just like Pastor when she had to rely on the letter of promise by the Singapore Government for her citizenship.

5 4. Re-examine Our Own Position She also cited examples of people taking positions on the fence. For example, in Scandinavia, people very often do not get married and she knew of a French lady in a relationship with a man and had two children with the man but not married because they wanted to have freedom. Pastor expressed concern that this is also happening in the church where the current younger generation valued individuality and freedom that they questioned the institution of marriage. Pastor also recalled an instance where a long time Christian would call a Feng Shui master for relocating to a new place. These are people who preferred to sit on the fence where they want to have the promises of Jesus and on the other hand have their bases covered. She also shared that when it comes to PSLE, O and A levels examinations, the congregation attendance will go down as parents will skip services to have their kids sent for extra tuition. It seems there is more trust in the tuition teacher than putting their faith in God. Conclusion Pastor concludes the message by pointing out that Paul in his letter to the Philippians told them not to sit on the fence. Those who do regrettably will be doomed. She close the message by getting the congregation to sing Jesus loves me this I know to affirm our faith in Jesus and His promises.