The Reality of Eternity
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I wrote this message while sitting on the porch with my mother-in-law who had just lost her mother hours before...
The passing was predicted. Her mother lived a long life and is now living a better one.
Regardless, I can not come up with a better time to reflect upon eternity...
Two weeks ago when I was in Colorado, I experienced a moment that brought today’s message in perspective.
Our guide was one of the best in the nation. For 23 years, he guided trips and took people fishing for trout 8k feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains.
We were fishing the South Platte River, one of the top ten rivers in America to trout fish.
We were on one stretch of water when he stopped walking and point out a fish under some brush on the edge of the water.
I thought he was insane, but I trusted his guidance and went with it.
Low and behold, I hooked up on a massive rainbow trout.
He was able to locate the fish because of the lens he was looking through...
Our life changes when we put on the glasses of the gospel and look through the lens of eternity.
Eternity is a reality for all of us.
Let’s read Matthew 25:31-46
I want to make clear distinctions about this passage before we move forward with application and challenge.
First, there are three types of people who are being discussed in this passage: the sheep, the goats, and the brethren.
The sheep are those who have been saved by their faith in Jesus Christ.
The goats are not the elite (Greatest Of All Time) of His chosen people. They are actually the ones that have not placed their faith in Christ.
The Brethren are those Jews who God has saved through their faith in Jesus.
Secondly, the lesson Jesus is sharing is pointing to their eternal destination… In attempt to allow us insight in to what is to come for us.
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Third, this time of judgement takes place before Christ’s kingdom is reclaimed here on earth.
Instead of diving into end time timelines, I want to really shift our focus on the reality of this passage that will be even more emphasized on the last point.
Lastly, works are used as an evidence of their salvation, not the means of salvation.
The passage is stating that each of these types of people’s eternal destination points back to a faith that either did, or did not, feed the hungry, give a drink to the thirsty, welcome a stranger, clothe the needy, and visited the sick and those in prison.
I must repeat this truth. Their salvation and eternal destination is not dependent on whether or not they did those things, but whether they had a faith that naturally produced their willingness to serve, because of the way Christ served them.
So hear me say this- Your works do not get you into heaven. You can never do enough!
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
This reminder or truth should insight you t respond in
It should insight awareness.
The picture is bigger than the picture we see.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
We are not in charge… in some sense, honestly in reality, we aren’t in charge at all!
Nobody is seating in the seat of the judge...
2. It should insight mobilization.
Eternity should produce a sense of urgency.
This is the heart beat behind Matthew 28:19-20
This conversation brings a question to the table that make some people uncomfortable- as it should.
What happens to the people who never hear of the gospel? What is their eternal destination?
Romans 1 gives us direction when considering the answer to this question.
There is enough in the world to give evidence of a creator. God is sovereign in all things, but man is sinful and in need of saving.,
In the end, those who do not hear are in need of hearing. And we are called to shout to the mountain tops of the good news of the gospel!
But those people don’t just live in the villages of Africa, they rub shoulders with you daily…
Daily you walk past people who are dead, headed toward an eternal destination of destruction and separation from God.
Where is your sense of urgency?
Because the day is coming soon...
2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3. It should insight alertness.
Are you ready. Are you living in such a way that this day is right around the corner...