Falls Creek Tuesday (1 Tip To Inherit Eternity)

Introduction

When I was a kid, I was the absolute worst with gifts. I always wanted to know well before Christmas what my gift was going to be.

Maybe you’re the same way, right!

Some people will tell you that knowing the gift beforehand will ruin Christmas and the fun of it, but I totally disagree! I love knowing my gift ahead of time! It gives me time to learn how to use it and to enjoy it.

I want to talk to you today just briefly about that same joy of knowing the gift. Because there is a great gift that God has for all of us in this room and for everyone beyond.

That gift is eternal life.

Today I want to encourage you, guide you, and equip you with some truth necessary to receive that gift.

Now out of the many things I could tell you about that gift and preach for hours on end about it, for the sake of you and me, I wanted to summarize the gift and how to receive it into one single thing.

See the gift I’m going to be talking about today is much greater than any Christmas gift you might receive.

Tonight, I want to give you 1 Tip to Inherit Eternity.

If you have a copy of God’s word read with me today in John 14:5-7

(Just Jesus, Period)

John 14:5–7 CSB

5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

I want you right now to think about Thomas I’m scripture, if you’re anything like me you thought of him In his Popularly known name as doubting Thomas, he was the guy in the group who could never be too sure on anything, I know some of those people in here.

Thomas was by all accounts a faithful man, who just wanted to understand, but one particular story in scripture gives him his famous “doubting” name, after Jesus had been resurrected, Thomas just could not believe that Jesus had risen.

maybe that’s you today. Just hoping to understand

But in this particular story we are about to work through Thomas basically said that he needed to see it to believe it

focus in with me

John 20:24–29 CSB

24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” 28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Thomas said unless he was able to see it there is no way he could believe it and God answered the bell. Now today, for each of us Christ died, and maybe your like “doubting” Thomas in this story and you need to see it to believe it, well take heart in the last verse of this passage, Where Jesus says “Because you have seen me, you have believed, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Christianity is a faith based system. It’s confidence that Christ is who he said he was and his promise for eternity will come to completion.

Thomas needed Jesus to show himself and Jesus answered the bell, maybe this week you don’t know Jesus at all, maybe you came with a friend or a family member, and you are still working through the question of who is Jesus? Here’s what I want you to take hope in this week, that wherever your at in your personal life right now, God wants a relationship with you 1 million times more than you might want a relationship with him right now. Even in your darkest moment he wants a relationship with you

If you open your heart to Christ and learning more about him this week, I can’t promise you you’ll become rich, popular, or anything else earthly, but I can promise you’ll learn more about Christ and his hope for your life, and if you feel that sometime this week in your heart it’s time to follow after Jesus, he will answer the bell.

but it takes faith, it takes faith to turn from your earthly desires and trust in Christ, it takes faith to possibly lose friendships in the pursuit of a faithful life, but it’s the greatest decision I’ve ever made.

1 Tip For Eternity

and so this is my one tip for you to inherit eternity, in the simplest yet most powerful form, the way to Inherit Eternity is Jesus, Just Jesus.

Christ came into the world and carried the weight of our sin on his back as he was beaten, mocked, and eventually killed as an innocent man for our sins.

Jesus died on the cross that day and just a few days later conquered death and the grave when he was resurrected. It is because of his sacrifice that we hope for eternity.

Jesus died for you. Jesus died for me.

“We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body” (Heb. 10:19–20).

Jesus body paid the ultimate price and died for the sin of humanity, he is calling out to each of us to put our faith in him as savior.

If you’re taking notes this is the process to inherit eternity. The way to take part in Jesus

Admit that you are a wretched sinner

Believe that Christ is the atoning savior, who paid the price.

Commit to following Jesus for the rest of your life, putting his wants and ways above your own.

Conclusion

I was looking at an article the other day about an event that happened a few weeks back. A few weeks ago this company called OceanGate expeditions had a submarine excursion to see the titanic. It was going to be revolutionary, a new breed of underwater public exploration.

Now the price to get on said submarine was steep, even with the experimental line attached to it, it still costs 250,000 to board the submarine.

Now, I am a titanic buff. I loved the movie with Leonardo Dicaprio, the museum, and any documentary I can find on it so if I could afford 250,000 I would have absolutely signed up for that trip!

5 people did end up signing up for the trip, Stockton Rush who was the founder of the submarine company, A british businessman named Hamish Harding, A Titanic expert named Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Another business man named Shahzada, and his 19 year old son Suleman.

For these men this was just another day. An exciting one at that where they could go see the historic wreckage site of the Titanic.

Unfortunately for these men they would never reach their destination. See the submarine that they were on wasn’t able to handle the deep sea and it collapsed under the pressure.

It killed all 5 men, and all sources are reporting that it happened within a 4th of a second. Which is before their brains could have even grasped the situation,

Those men lost their life that day. A 19 year old boy, not much older than many of you in this room lost his life that day before he could even realize it.

I don’t pretend today to know the status of that boy’s eternity, but that day he did have to face the reality of his eternity.

and there will be a day where you will have to face that same reality. Now I pray that you all have long and happy lives, but the reality guys is we don’t have the security to know when our time will come, but today you can have the security to know the status of your eternity.

When I was 15 years old, In a cabin just a few hundred feet away from here I found security in my eternity.

I felt in a way similar to maybe some of you in this cabin, broken, confused, and hurt by the weight of the world around us, but that day I found security, fulfilment, and the warmth of God’s love.

I found this notebook while I was packing, I got it not long after I got saved and felt called to be in ministry. It is some of the very first sermons I ever prepared. As a 16 or 17 year old

Since almost no one in this room knew I existed when I was 15, I’ll tell you this. The fact that these sermons even exist and that I am even here as a youth pastor today is only because of the life changing, way making, chain breaking power of the Gift. Just Jesus Period.

now listen to me today, if you don’t know that hope yet, and you feel broken, confused, and overwhelmed by the weight of the world around you. I want to let you know your not alone and I want to give you the same opportunity that my youth pastor gave me. Just a simple moment to think to myself, If I was on that submarine WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT.

Would you spend eternity with Christ or would you be eternally separated from God

I accepted Christ that day and my eternity in heaven was secure, that day changed my life forever.

Will today be the day for you? What happens next for you?

PRAY and give opportunity to respond to gospel

If at any point this week or even beyond you have questions about the hope of Jesus, I know myself, Doug, Amber, Elaine, or Berryhill would be more than willing to talk to you about that, or if not us I know countless students throughout the room who would like to as well. You are not alone, but if and when the time comes it will be the best and most important decision you ever make.