Week 4: Eternal Life

Intro:

If I gave you a 50 dollar bill right now and said hey you can take this and spend it however you want. But, if you hang onto this for 70 years and don’t lose it or spend it, and you still have it in 70 years, you can have access to a bank account with INFINITE money in it. But you have to wait 70 years! Be honest, how many of you would make it a priority to hang onto that 50 dollar bill? Some of you? But like it’s infinite money one day! Why wouldn’t you care about that more today?

Maybe, you don’t think it will actually happen in 70 years.

Maybe, you’d rather just do whatever you want with the 50 now and not worry about what will happen in 70 years.

Regardless, it makes sense that even with such a large and impressive gift at the end of 70 years, many would probably pass it by to be able to spend the 50 dollars however they wanted and move on with their life, working and saving and trying their best to build up a solid savings account and retirement for when they get older. And in the end they may have some money, maybe even millions of dollars, but it won’t be infinite.

Ok, I realize none of you probably care about retirement, or bank accounts or anything like that right now. You can’t, just like I can’t, even imagine 50, 60, or 70 years from now. And that’s exactly my point.

Unfortunately, many times people talk about eternal life this way. It’s just a vague promise of something unimaginable that doesn’t matter until way later in life when we get old and are thinking about death more.

I know we always talk about the Gospel in a more biblical way than this, but have any of you ever in your life heard someone talk about Eternal life and Heaven as something that only really matters when you die? Yeah, the majority of my childhood, that was all I knew about the Gospel. Get saved- so you don’t go to hell when you die. Eternal life in my mind was equal to going to heaven when I die.

If you’ve been around here for any amount of time you know, thankfully, my understanding is nowhere near that anymore!

Yes, the Gospel leads to life after to death, yes eternal life does mean living forever with God in His kingdom. But Biblically it also means so much more.

When we make eternal life ONLY about a one day in the future thing it causes huge problems for both christians and non christians alike.

Ultimately it’s why many people don’t care. The Gospel becomes something to worry about later, Heaven becomes a nice concept for old people to think about, and Jesus’ invitation to follow Him becomes a lot less urgent and compelling.

Thomas a Kempis- a famous christian theologian in history once said:

For a small living, men run a great way; for eternal life, many will scarce move a single foot from the ground.

Thomas à Kempis

Meaning, people are willing to get on the grind and hustle to make money, get famous, make a living for themselves in this world. But then when offered the free gift of eternal life by Jesus they reject it and refuse to follow Him.

What is eternal life all about according to the Bible? Because if we properly understand then we as christians will intentionally live it out every day, and non-christians will be eager to receive it when we share it with them. WE will realize it’s not a one-day thing, it’s an every day thing and it is better than anything we can achieve for ourselves.

So, Let’s look at it!

Turn with me to Mark 10 tonight!

Again, we will see a story that many of us have likely heard before. But it is one of the most impactful moments we see Jesus’ invitation to receive eternal life and human’s choices laid out.

Like last week, we have studied this passage before, so we won’t go into every detail tonight, but let’s really focus in on the theme of eternal life. Mark 10 starting in verse 17.

Mark 10:17–23 (CSB)

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”

He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”

Looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

We see a young rich man approaches Jesus with the question that all of us have at some point.

How do I have eternal life?

Now, we don’t know what this man was talking about. Did he want a better experience of life right now, or was he just trying to make sure he had a good experience after he died.

But Jesus has an answer regardless.

He first checks to see if he has been obedient to the law.

The rich man is confident he has upheld all of the law. Which is crazy and impossible. It shows his arrogance, pride and small view of sin.

Either way we know the law can’t save him or us. The law just shows us our brokenness, our sinfulness and our need for a savior.

But Jesus sees his prideful heart and his idol of material wealth and he tells him ok, go sell all the wealth you have, give it to the poor and you’ll have treasure in heaven, then come and follow me. Jesus points to two realities of eternal life- both the quantity of life- life that goes longer than death, and the quality of life- how good your life can be here on earth.

He talks about having treasure in heaven- God’s space- only accessible either after death or after Jesus returns one day.

He also invites him to come follow Him NOW and he’ll experience life!

Jesus, like the rest of scripture talks about eternal life with a focus on the here and now, and with implications for the future.

Let’s look at what Jesus means by Eternal life: 1. Eternal life is about the age to come.

The phrase- eternal life that Jesus uses is clearly tied back to a Hebrew phrase that literally translates- life of the age.

The idea behind that phrase is that there are different “Ages” of time. An age is just a period of time characterized by a unique common attribute. Like the age of the family of Abraham- that’s the time period between Abraham and Moses. Or the Age of the Judges- the time when Israel was led by judges.

The Bible often sets up the idea that we are living in this present age, but there is another age to come in the future.

You guys tracking with that so far?

So humans were created, God makes us out of the dust of this earth and places us in a garden where we were able to eat freely and enjoy the life-giving presence of God.

Then we reject God and choose to go take life our own way apart from Him!

At that point sin and death entered the picture. So, essentially we were then moved into this age that is marked by death and sin! That is how the present age is always talked about in the Bible.

This age is marked by sin and death, suffering and pain, evil and bound for destruction!

But God always pointed his people toward a NEW age one day! He gave them the law to learn how to live in a new way. He gave the prophets that point them to a future hope that would lead them into a new age.

Then we see Jesus come and offer life unto the age.

Are you with me?

That’s the back story that we see for this one simple phrase- Eternal life that Jesus is now offering this young man.

He is offering him a chance to step into the life of the age to come. Jesus was clear from the very beginning his message was repent- turn away from your sins, believe the Gospel, because the Kingdom of God is here and coming!

So Jesus was essentially announcing hey the age to come is almost here! The Kingdom of God is near to you, turn from your sins, Follow me, and step into this new life in the new age!

Ultimately, the passage we keep looking at in Revelation 22, is all about the final, beautiful picture that we look forward to.

Where the present age is marked by sin, separation from God, and death- the age to come is marked by the presence of God, holiness and LIFE.

This gives us a better understanding of John 3:14-16

John 3:14–16 CSB

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Instead of ending in death with this age, through Jesus we can have life eternal!

So it makes sense that the life we have in Jesus is eternal- beyond this lifetime and this earth as it is now. Eternal life is very much about the age to come.

But heres the thing. We can’t stop there. Like we have said already, it’s not just a one day thing.

What did Jesus say he was doing on the earth? Did he say repent and believe because one day you can have life?

or follow me and one day you can have abundant life?

or one day you can experience the presence and power of God?

No. all of Jesus promises were also about the here and now. Yes, we look to a future where we experience perfect union with God and ZERO effects of sin, but we don’t have to wait until then, to experience the blessings and power of the presence of God! That’s exactly what Jesus came to offer us now!

Eternal life is about the age to come. But number 2

2. Eternal life is about quality, even more than it is about quantity.

I know that sounds weird, but simply put- Eternal life is about how we experience life now, not just life beyond death.

We live in an age marked by sin and death. That means every person born into this world is broken, separated from God, and headed towards death!

But, through Jesus he offers forgiveness of that sin, the presence of God, and the power of the Spirit to transform us now and forever!

Jesus brought an overlap between the present age and the age to come!

Look at this screen.

We used this a long time ago for our kingdom of God series.

Let’s say the red-represents the present age and the blue represents the Kingdom of God and the future age to come.

Well, You see clearly what Jesus did was bring this overlap.

One day all that red will be wiped away and only blue will remain!

But like this shows, we get to experience the age to come here and now.

So what characterizes the eternal life we get to enjoy now?

3 things:

A personal relationship with God.

Jesus says: John 17:3 “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.”

A personal and intimate relationship with God- like we had in the Garden is made possible again through Jesus. We can know God personally, as our creator and father, and friend! This is all possible by Jesus paying for our sins on the cross.

2. The personal presence of God.

We get the gift of God’s Personal Spirit living within us!

We are no longer far from God we are back with him, and even better, his presence dwells within us! We are never alone or on our own as Pastor Robert said this past sunday!

God’s spirit changes everything. He is in us guiding us, comforting us, leading us and helping us. He is there for us and with us in everything we do! Our lives have the living presence of God in them.

3. The personal power of God.

The Holy Spirit in us isn’t just there to be voice or guide, He is God! That means the full power of God is in us!

The power of the Holy Spirit is how we are transformed from the inside out from our old selves to our new selves that look and live like Jesus.

This is what we see in :

2 Corinthians 3:18 “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

and

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

Following Jesus leads us to experience life the way God designed us to, instead of the way that sin has broken things in this age.

Jesus sets us free from the limits of the mortal life of this age!

It’s the life of the age to come, but here and now, even in the brokenness of this world in this age.

Again- Eternal life is about the age to come.

Eternal life is also about quality even more than it is quantity.

And as we close-

3. Eternal life is contagious.

I don’t mean that if you are a christian and you just sit there, that someone else will be saved if they get too close to you.

No, but if you have this eternal life- you won’t be just sitting around, you will be moving out towards the world and towards the lost constantly.

Like we’ve said all through this series- as part of the tree of life- we bear fruit for others to eat and find life. The living water is meant to flow in us, and through us to the world around us so that people can find satisfaction for their souls in Jesus! And here, eternal life is a reality that cannot be kept to ourselves! Think about it this way:

Closing Illustration:

Let me just throw out a hypotheticalL If I literally died, right here, right now. You ran up, checked my pulse, I’m gone. You bring in emergency medical services and they try to revive me and can’t. They pronounce me dead at 7:35pm Wednesday January 31st. And then we have a funeral Friday and you all mourn and cry and are sad. But then Sunday morning comes and I roll into church and am just like hey guys I’m back! Be honest, wouldn’t you run and tell everyone you know about that? Like that would blow up on social media, take over the news, and I bet, we’d have a few thousand people pack out this place next Wednesday night. Why? Because your student pastor died and then rose from the dead. No one would be able to NOT talk about that. Now, I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon. But what’s crazy is we all do know a guy who did die and did raise from the dead named Jesus. And he wasn’t just some random student pastor with nothing to offer you, He is JESUS, God Himself come to earth to offer eternal life to anyone and everyone who will come to him to be saved!

Eternal life, brand new life free from sin and death forever, is available to everyone. WE CAN’T NOT TALK ABOUT IT! We’re full of the Spirit of God, we can’t NOT live like it. We are satisfied and alive by the God of all creation dwelling in us and providing for us. Everyone we come in contact with should know about that! The life we have received is not private, it can’t be. It doesn’t make any sense to be. IT has made us alive and given us purpose, hope and and a brand new future! This is eternal life. It changes everything here, and now, and forever.

Ultimately,

Eternal life is about knowing God the Father personally, through Jesus the Son, and experiencing the life of God’s kingdom through the Spirit within us, both now and forever!

As we move forward int he weeks ahead we have to hold onto to this truth: There is no life apart from Jesus! No one satisfies our souls but Him. Nothing can save us from the death of sin but Him. No one else has the words that teach us how to experience the life of God!

Bow your heads with me as we respond.

I don’t know what has stood out to you most in this series but to me it’s just that one simple truth- Only Jesus can give us real life.

Can you just take that to God tonight in prayer. Ask God to help you trust him more and more to give you life, so you won’t search for it anywhere else.

Thank God for filling you with His Spirit so you can live this new, eternal life.

Pray for God to lead you to people without this life and obey Him as He does!

Maybe you’re here tonight and you don’t have this life in you.

Jesus’ invitation is open to you tonight!

Yes, you are sinful, you are separated from God by your sins, and your only future is death.

But God loved you so much that He sent his only Son, Jesus, into this world to save you! If you will turn away from your sins and believe in Jesus as your personal Savior and follow Him as Lord He will give you this eternal life that we’ve talked about tonight. Is there anyone here who needs to make that decision tonight?

No one is looking around- just raise your hand so I can see you and pray for you!

Let’s pray!

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