Aim High

Aim High

II Cor. 4:16-18

Theme: God is teaching us how we are to keep our desires on eternal things.

Welcome to Mountain View Baptist Church! It is always a wonderful honor to come to church each week. Thank you for attending today. If this is your first time, we are honored to have you. We would love to connect with you so be sure to stop by our welcome center to pick up your gift bag.

What are you aiming for in life? What are your aspirations?

A hunter is at his best when he hits the target. A doctor is at his best when his medical procedure extends life to a person. A secretary is at his best when she fulfills the duties of the office. A spouse is at his best when he fulfills the God intended roles. An officer is at his best when he administers to the law to protect the citizens. All of these have one thing in common: they aim to do something.

A Christian is at his best when he aims to be holy. “It is certain that holiness is a condition, though not of justification, yet of salvation. Therefore, faith provokes and stirs up man to the exercise of holiness, as being the way in which he must, if ever, attain to happiness.” Edward Veal Puritan Sermons.

In verse 1 of the passage we just read, the Apostle Paul focuses on ministry and ministry is about serving the Lord. What do we want Mountain View Baptist Church to be? It is shaped and molded by the Christians who make up the church. Our feet may be on the earth but our heart is to be in heaven. In Ephesians Paul says “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;” (Ephesians 2:19–20)

Our citizenship is in heaven and our focus is in heaven. How do we focus in heaven and still live here on earth?

When I pastored in NM, it was near Holloman AFB. Couples would come to the base and we would do everything we could to connect them with our church family and help them. We would receive them in our homes and had special meals for them since they were away from their families for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The strange this is, even though they were welcomed and greeted by everyone, they still thought of “home.” Wherever they grew up or spent the most time, that was still home to them. Even in their conversation they would say “back home.” In a simple way, this is what it means to be here on earth but have our home in heaven.

The Bible teaches us here that our focus or aim is to be on heaven. There are three ways we are to aim higher.

Way 1. . .

A daily renewal v. 16

Trying to stay younger physically is big business in our world. Janet and I knew a lady that was always buying products to keep her looking young. Though the calendar said otherwise, she bought all these products to keep the appearance of outward youth. I would imagine her husband’s monthly bill was enormous. Paul is telling us here that our outward man, the physical body is perishing. In other words, our bodies are dying. We are getting older and the aging effect is creating a physical change.

Our eyes don’t see as well, our ears don’t hear as well, and our energy is not as strong as it was. Therefore, much of the emphasis today is on the outward. There are creams, lotions, exercise programs, and tons of diets that is spent on preventing aging. While I do believe we should take care of our health and body, but the emphasis for the believer is to be on the internal.

Sometimes people have had physical abuse and the temptation is to focus on the abuse daily in their life. A great remedy to overcoming abuse is by changing our focus from the external to the internal. Paul is teaching us here to look at the things that never change.

In fact, the internal focus will change everything. The Bible teaches the gospel changes everything. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

This world is a broken world and sin is on full display. Our lives are being affected everyday by sin and God gives us a cure for sin. It is the gospel: Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. He died for our sins on the cross and paid the debt for our sins. A relationship with God is not established because we are born in a Christian home, or we have a religious identity, or we live a good life, or we care for the needy. Salvation is internal when we put our complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6)

This passage is written to those who have already accepted Jesus as their Savior. The purpose of renewal means we focus our attention on the eternal things that are the most valuable.

Paul describes there will be suffering for God as a believer but we are no to faint. This means we are not to lose heart or motivation to serve God.

“Until a person is prepared to die, he is not really prepared to live.” (Wiersbe).

This daily renewal means we commune with God. Communion with God is like a cell phone: as you plug it in, it is charged for the day. Without the charge the phone will die and without a daily renewal our spiritual fervor and strength will die. We don’t lose our salvation, but we lose our effectiveness. We can lose our motivation to serve God or do something for God. We may physically grow weaker but spiritually we can experience a daily renewal by the Holy Spirit in our lives.

“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Colossians 3:10)

R. T. Kendall made an amazing statement: “We need to know the Word of God and the ways of God.”

This means we are not just to be Bible readers to educate our minds but we must be Bible meditators learning God’s ways. Just as a husband and wife know each others ways, it is vitally important as we spend time with God to know His ways.

There can be no question when you learn His ways, you learn about many decisions and convictions in life. There are just so many things in the Christian life that are decided by knowing God’s ways that prevent me from doing what God wants.

Let me give you an example: Most of you know I love golf. It is a great passion of mine and I play when I can. I would like to play in some tournaments just to “beef up” my game. The club where I play they have almost weekly tournaments. They are played mostly on Sundays. Out of the thirty tournaments, there are only two tournaments that are not on Sundays. I would never play on Sunday whether I am a pastor or not. This is not God’s way and He would not honored if I played in any of these tournaments.

If I am going to be holy and honor God by keeping my aim on eternity, I must have a daily renewal by aiming for heavenly things.

Way 2. . .

An upward focus v. 17

Living here in the world Paul addresses suffering as normal. Sometimes people get the idea that when you become a Christian suffering will go away. This is not the case. Suffering is common among all of mankind, but believers have the Lord to help through the suffering.

Paul uses the imagery of suffering as light which means it is easy to bear. He is talking about Jesus coming along side us in our suffering.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29–30)

Afflictions means pressures or hardships which are continuous in this life-this refers to the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual suffering that comes from being a child of God trying to serve Him. Worketh means to accomplish our service with thoroughness and success.

Light means when we focus on eternity, the suffering in this life is light almost as if there was no suffering. God is working to accomplish something in our lives through the suffering. If a weightlifter is strengthening his muscles, he will lift and carry weights. He will add more weight to get more strength. Resistance training gives strength to our physical muscles. God allows afflictions in our lives to strengthen our spiritual muscles.

As we focus upward, we will begin to recognize the glory of heaven. Weight of glory-we typically think of trials as weights, but God calls glory weight which is in reference to value and worth. God’s glory is worth the suffering which keeps us going on for Him. Heavenly glory has so much to offer us there.

Can you imagine what heaven is like. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

I am convinced this is eternal. God is saying in eternity there are many things He has prepared for His people. God doesn’t give us details about heaven that we would like, but He gives us enough to know heaven is a special place. We know there is no suffering, darkness, or tears in heaven. God is saying our focus and aim should be upward.

Way 3. . .

An active Biblical faith v. 18

There is an seen and unseen world. The great men and women of faith focused on the unseen world.

“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10)

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.” (Hebrews 11:13–14)

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27)

Biblical faith is directed towards God Himself. Faith is trusting in the unseen-keeping our eyes on that which we cannot tangibly see. Too many believers toady know little of keeping their focus on the unseen things of God especially during times of suffering and difficulty.

This is where we are to live for the eternal and aim high by focusing in God’s Kingdom.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” (Matthew 6:19–20)

We are to invest our time with God and also our tithe. Are you a tither? If you are believer, God tells you to give 10% of your income to God. The general fund is the tithe or 10%. How much are you giving to God. It is Biblical faith to give 10% to God.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (Matthew 23:23)

“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (1 Corinthians 16:1–2)

It takes faith to give but remember, we are not giving of our resources but we are returning to God what rightfully belongs to Him.

Christian, how is your aim? Are you aiming high in daily renewal? Are you keeping your focus upward by investing in the eternal? Are you living by faith? Today would be a day to decide to aim high. Modern Christianity seems to have to much low living when God tells us to aim high. By aiming at nothing, you will hit it every time.

Several years ago, I was playing golf with two other guys when the golf course put a fourth player with our group. He was much older than us and when he walked up to us, he was a little unstable in his steps. He said, “Hello Guys, I am almost blind but I love to play golf. Will you just help me get aimed towards the hole and I will swing the club. Also help me find where my ball lands.” Amazing, he hit the ball straight towards where we helped aim. He was beating us the whole 18 holes. I was tempted to point him off target. However, he was aiming towards the target. Jesus is saying: “this is your target, where are you aiming?”

If you are not a Christian today, you can meet the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you let someone show you from the Bible how to be a Christian, how to accept Christ as your Savior?