Living in light of Eternity
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Intro
Intro
Despite appearance | not fastest swimmer | Highschool - Made Interstate Swimming team | Owned it | got Jacket.
Never dawned on me - Come swimming carnival - Would have to swim | Felt very out of place.
Sometimes | We can feel like that as Christians | If call Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour - Saved, but didn’t earn it | In this world, but wrestle against flesh - Might feel out of place.
That’s because you are;
And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Life on earth = Vapour | There is something more - Easy to get caught in this world | What do we do?
Title: Living in light of Eternity.
Diving into Series | Living in light of eternity.
Today - Dive into tension of “Already/not yet” state | Where we go when die | Why does it matter?
Today - Lay foundation for series.
Let’s dive in
Question; What is first thing Jesus says? Turn or burn?
No;
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
At Hand = Near = Rihgt Here, Right now -
Remember how he told us to pray? Your will be done, on earth as it is in…HEAVEN.
So - Jesus didn’t come JUST to save us from Hell, but to bring the Kingdom of Heaven HERE.
Jesus was the king of that Kingdom | And First in it- When Saved - You get a ticket to it.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
That’s why we say “Advance the Kingdom”
So when saved - You are in NEW KINGDOM, and you have a NEW IDENTITY.
Romans 8, Paul describes;
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
When in Swim team, I had new clothes, and was going to a new place.
This is what the “ALREADY” state of the “ALREADY NTO YET” State is we live in.
Already = Redeemed, Adopted, Saved, Raised, Justified.
but - still NOT YET;
NOT YET - Fully sanctified, free from Sin, in a place without tears or pain -
We in = “Messy Middle”
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Present time - However - a different time is coming;
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Groaning | This is what Creation is Doing - Why? Because of Fall | It started in Perfection - Sin entered the World - and ever since Creation has been GROANING to get back to state of Perfection |
The world as it is now - Was never the plan | and our bodies we are = never the plan
Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
Our bodies will be Glorified (Religious word = Glorification)
This world, not plan | These bodies not the plan but a new plan is coming…however - Not for everyone.
Jesus said:
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
2 Paths | Eternity with God | Eternity without God.
Eternity with God is Heaven | Without God described as Hell.
Jesus spoke more about Hell than Heaven = Yes it’s a real place | Yes = Uncomfortable | But it’s important to talk about.
Now some people think Devil Runs Hell - Devil does not run hell - Hell was made for devil and his Angels
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Jesus describes hell like this:
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Sir Francis Newport, the head of an English Atheist club to those gathered around his deathbed: “You need not tell me there is no God for I know there is one, and that I am in His presence! You need not tell me there is no hell. I feel myself already slipping. Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me! I know I am lost forever! Oh, that fire! Oh, the insufferable pangs of hell! …Oh, that I could lie for a thousand years upon the fire that is never quenched
We can not exist, for all eternity - With Holy God, unless we have been made, Holy.
I can’t go to Swim Carnival, Unless I have been called.
Did Jesus speak about it so much to scare people? Well…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
There is this story of man, subway - waiting - Fell unconcious - onto tracks | Can’t save himself - Needed - Outside Help.
Jesus = Not on Condemnation Mission | RESCUE MISSION.
In Garden of Eden = Made Choice | That Choice has plaqued us ever since | Born of Sin | Unable to get ourselves out of the mess we created.
And jesus steps in…and provides a life raft.
Should not perish | Have ETERNAL LIFE.
Once Children of Wrath - No more - The calling on your life so much greater | The destination = So much greater | The inheritance = So much greater = than anything in this world.
Let’s put some handles on this | What are some things from text we notice?
This earth was never the plan, and the plan, is so much greater.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Started in Perfection = End in Perfection
2. Our destiny is determined before we take our last breath
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Train tracks - someone jumped in to get him, imagine if said…no, just leave me.
3. A Good God doesn’t send people to Hell, A Good God sent His son to Earth
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Why still here? Why not beam me up? It’s all grace
4. We are called to so much more than waiting, while we’re here
Be clear | You have not been saved to wait for Heaven | Called to advance His Kingdom on Earth | To be effective in that we must;
Live in light of eternity | Know that what we do here, impacts eternity forever.
Where we going in Series?
The Wrestle - Already not yet state.
Deep dive into Heaven - What is it? How does it get here?
Hell - Why? Because Jesus spoke about it and so should we.
Glorification - What happens to these meat bags?
Judgement and Rewards - Does what we od here really matter?
Why this series?
Because what you think about Eternity impacts how you live today.
Because we want to be people who set their minds, on things above | Because our Church is walking through what others might see as impossible | Because you have been called to something greater than just waiting.
I encourage you in series = Lean in | My Hope is not only will this change your life - but also your priorities and free you from the bondages of this world
as we set our mind, on things above, and not on things on earth.
