The Tug of War between Now and Eternity

The tug of war between now and eternity

What do you have your eyes set on what is your focus?

Having a proper perspective on life

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James 1:9-11 (ESV)

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

The poor

James 1:9 (ESV)

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,

brother

Associated with humility and Righteous

One who knows Jesus as their Lord and savior

Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Leon Morris states

[Jesus] is not blessing poverty in itself: that can as easily be a curse as a blessing. It is His disciples of whom Jesus is speaking. They are poor and they know that they are without resource. They rely on God and they must rely on Him, for they have nothing of their own on which to rely…. The rich of this world often are self-reliant. Not so the poor.

So there is boasting in exaltation… how does one remain humble while boasting at the same time..

I think the answer is in what we boast in

James says it is in our rank.. our exaltation

That Jesus has lifted us up out of our sin and put those who believe in Him as a brother or sister in the faith.

1 Thessalonians 2:19 (ESV)

19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?

So we celebrate victory that we have Christ and that our perspective must be one in which we totally depend on Him.

When you are sick or when you are weak,, or when you are poor.. there is a point in which all you can do is Trust that God has you in the midst.

John Macarthur put it this way

You may be hungry, but you have the bread of life. You may be thirsty, but you drink of the water of life. You may be poor, but you have the true riches. You may be cast aside by men, but you are received by God. You do not need anything more. Your position before God is enough, it is enough.

The rich

James 1:10 (ESV)

10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.

Rich in humiliation

When you lose it you should be boastful..

Because of the reminder that what you have is just temporary.

But when our focus becomes our now.. our possessions and what we can attain we are in trouble

1 Timothy 6:9-10 (ESV)

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

The bible is not anti money.. it is anti the love of money

Job, Abraham, David, Solomon, Zaccheaus these where all rich men used by God.

Matthew 13:22 (esv)

22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

So we have to change our focus on the eternal..

Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The mark of true wealth are not our earthly possessions

Its not on the real estate market of today that we should be focused on but the real estate of eternity.

The pursuit

James 1:11(ESV)

11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

There are certain facts in life.

Sun rises and scorches the grass

Flowers die and lose their beauty

Riches fade

What is worth something today could be worthless tomorrow

James is teaching us perhaps one of the greatest tests to our faith we will every incur is our financial position in life.

Tyson clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgcHBcQRlpw

Time in: 0 Time out: 0:24

The tug of war is your pursuit

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV)

23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Know God

John 17:3 (ESV)

3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

John 1:12 (Esv)

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord.” ― J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Understand God

Psalm 119:16,24 (ESV)

16 I will delight in your statutes;     I will not forget your word.

24 Your testimonies are my delight;     they are my counselors.

“How can we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each Truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.” ― J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Practice Gods love

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Luke 12:16-20 (ESV)

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

How do we do at practicing God’s love, we expect God to give to us out of the goodness of his heart but do we do the same, wether rich or poor.. do we have a pursuit of Loving god and loving each other

1 John 3:17 (ESV)

17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

Forget about your status in the world and worry more about your status in Christ!

2 Timothy 4:8 (NASB)

8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

So are you focused on God and your eternity or right now