Citizens of Heaven

New Series on 1 Peter

Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21

• Our citizenship is in Heaven. 

Context (Philippians 3:1-19)

• Paul used to see his human citizenship, family, and accomplishments as the more important aspects of his identity (Phil. 3:4-6).
• But now, all of that pales in comparison to knowing Christ (Phil 3:7-11).
• Paul is always striving to forget what is behind (worldly ways of thinking) and striving toward what is ahead (the life of a disciple — Phil 3:13-14).
• Many people have their minds set on earthly things, but we are citizens of Heaven (Phil 3:19-20).

Today’s Message

God wants us to embrace our true identity as citizens of Heaven — and to act accordingly.

• Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:1-2, 17; 2:22, Romans 12:1-2.

Three Questions to ask as we Read Each Chapter of 1 Peter:

• What Do We Learn About God?
• What Do We Learn About Ourselves?
• What is the Call to Action? 

What We Learn from the Opening Lines of 1 Peter (1:1-2)

What Do We Learn About God?

• Jesus is the Christ (a Greek word meaning the anointed one). He is the one chosen by God to save the world from sin. (v. 1)
• God exists in three persons: Father, Spirit, and Son (v. 2)
• God is all-knowing, including a knowledge of the future (foreknowledge, v. 2).
• The Spirit sanctifies us (to make someone holy), which means he is actively involved in helping us become more like Jesus.
• Jesus’ blood washes away our sins (since he is our atoning sacrifice). 

What Do We Learn About Ourselves?

• Peter is an apostle, which refers to someone who is sent on a mission. We do not have that same official title, but every disciple of Jesus is sent to accomplish God’s mission (see Matthew 28:18-20).
• We are God’s elect (v. 1), i.e. the ones who have been chosen by God (v. 2). 
• We are exiles in this world (v. 1). Other Bible translations say foreigners, sojourners, pilgrims, strangers, aliens, temporary residents, and refugees. 

What is the Call to Action?

• We are chosen to be obedient to Jesus (v. 2) as his lifelong disciples.

The Life of a Disciple

John Mark Comer has a great book about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus (Practicing the Way). He explains how in the first-century world, disciples had three responsibilities with respect to their master:

• To spend quality time with their master
• To become like their master
• To do what the master did.

Similarly, disciples of Jesus spend time with him (John 15:4-5), imitate his attitude and character (Luke 6:40; Philippians 2:5; 1 Peter 4:1), and live like Jesus did (John 14:12, John 13:15; 1 Peter 2:21).

Remember: Taking Jesus Seriously is Often Incompatible with the Ways of the World.

The first-century church was a persecuted minority in the polytheistic Roman Empire. Even in times with no official persecution taking place, Christians were excluded and mistreated because they refused to live like the rest of the world.

“These crowds seem genuinely to have believed that the Christians were dangerous “atheists,” and also to have believed the charges that were extracted from the slaves of some of the members of the congregation: that the Christians regularly committed incest (a misunderstanding of the Christian use of the terms “brother/sister”) and that their rites involved cannibalism (a misunderstanding of the Eucharist). The charge of atheism could move crowds to a great frenzy.” -Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary

Key Point: We shouldn’t be surprised when our pursuit of Jesus leads us to being ridiculed or excluded by the world.

Who Are We in Christ?

We are foreigners and exiles, chosen by God to obey Jesus in a world that’s not our home.

Scriptures: 1 Peter 1:17; 2:21. 

Citizens of Heaven:

1. Their Primary Allegiance is to God.

2. They Set Their Minds on Heavenly Things.

3. They Are In the World But Not Of the World.

Call to Action: Do Not Conform.

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

• Satan leads the world astray and is waging war against everyone following Jesus.
• Good News: We know who wins the war.

Study and Reflection

Read: Colossians 3:1-17. 

1. What are some of the important things this passage teaches us about God?
2. What do we learn about ourselves as human beings and/or disciples of Jesus?
3. What are some of the specific action items Paul calls us to in this passage?
4. What do you think it means to “set your heart” on something, generally speaking? What does it mean to set your heart on things above instead of earthly things?
5. This passage teaches us that we have an “earthly nature” (v. 5) and a “new self” (v. 10). What are the specific signs that a person is embracing each of those different types of identity?
6. Bryan mentioned that disciples of Jesus spend time with him, imitate his character, and follow his example. Do you see any references to those ideas in this passage?
7. Christians come from all walks of life. This is even more obvious when you start thinking about churches from different countries in the world. What is it that unites all Christians together in unity, despite our differences?
8. If a Christian were to take Jesus’ message seriously, how would their life be different from the average American citizen who does not have a relationship with God? 
9. Research indicates that around 63% of Americans self-identify as Christians, but only 4% are actively living as disciples of Jesus. Why do you think that is, and how can we set a better example?
10. Challenge: Remember who you are (a citizen of Heaven) and commit to spending time with Jesus, imitating his character, and following his example.