Standing on tiptoes, on the edge of eternity

Today we continue our series “Through the eyes of a lion.” My hope with this series is to prepare you for the pains and sufferings of this world, and to comfort those of you who have recently gone through pain or suffering.

I am hoping today that god’s word will dilate the eyes of our souls.

· When your eyes are dilated, our pupils get bigger and this allows more light in.

· That is exactly what we need, more light to flood in

· So we can see like a Lion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cats are 6 times more sensitive to light than humans. Their pupils are bigger and can be opened 3x wider than humans, higher percentage of rods. (worse color, better dark)

· reflective layer of cells behind retina, light bounces back can be absorbed 2x shine in dark.

· White patches under lions eyes, reflect faint light into the eye enhancing night vision.

· That is exactly what we need when we are going through dark and hard times.

· We need to be able to see there is hope, there is an end, there is victory ahead.

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Today I want to talk to you about the perspective we will need to see through the dark times with the mindset of VICTORY!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s message is called-

STANDING ON TIP TOES AT THE EDGE OF ETERNITY.

Today’s message is called - STANDING ON TIP TOES AT THE EDGE OF ETERNITY.

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The other day Callie and I went over to watch Rena for an hour. As we pulled up and stepped out of our vehicle Rena, was peeking out of the front window.

In excitement and anticipation, She was standing on a little stool, on her tiptoes, peeking out the window.

It was cute but it was also a great visual lesson.

Do we have the night vision and far farsightedness to anticipate eternity even, in the midst of suffering?

Are we like Rena - Standing on our tiptoes looking out the window towards eternity with excitement and anticipation?

Have you ever felt like this? - (Scream Picture)

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Have you ever felt like this? - (Scream Picture)

Sometimes it takes a good scream to get on those tiptoes.

I want to show you how to -

LEAN INTO THE GROAN

Romans 8:18–23 NIV

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

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Romans 8:26 NIV

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

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How many of you remember the Floppy disk?

Technology moves so fast that we went from a floppy, to a cd, thumb drives and now we have Drop Box and Air Box.

Do you remember the old Nintendo? (Show image on screen).

If you do, you will remember that sometimes the game would glitch and the system would not be able to read the cartridge.

You would have to pull it out and blow on it, shake it around and make sure no dust was in the game.

One day God will do that to the Heavens and Earth. He’ll take the game out, blow on the cartridge and put it back in. Good as new. (Rev is all about this).

God will RESET it all!

Murders, violence, shame, suffering, injustice, sickness, death, poverty, loneliness, they all end!!!

We will receive new resurrected bodies, and the Earth will be made new.

I talk about this a lot but, when you understand what awaits us, it will fill you with unshakable courage.

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Let that light sink into the eyes of your soul.

No matter how dark your day is, in the end there is victory.

No matter how dark your life has been, in the end there is victory.

Your loss, your pain, your suffering, shame, hurt, and brokenness is not eternal, it is limited.

But what is eternal is better, more lovely than you can imagine, sweeter, beautiful

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TO LEAN INTO THE GROAN WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND -

THE GROANING IS FROM GOD AND IT IS FOR GOD

Haggai 2:7 NIV

I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.

describes Jesus as “the Desire of All Nations”

Jesus is “the Desire of All Nations”

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Jesus is the answer to the ache within.

Jesus is the answer to the ache within.

In the same way we often eat when we are really dehydrated –

Groaning’s are often misdiagnosed and mistreated

· We look to other things that can never satisfy.

o Sex, drugs, food, money, power, work, hide from the world in tv or even books.

At its heart our groaning is separation anxiety.

· We were meant to live with God

· To walk with Him like Adam did in the garden.

· Sin separated us, and we have been groaning to get back to Eden ever since.

· The groaning is a mechanism to make sure that happens –

o Like a homing beacon pointing us towards the New Heaven and Earth.

CS Lewis wrote--"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

· He put it in us in the hope that we might search for Him and find Him.

· Our groaning is a homing beacon to lead us to the only thing that can truly satisfy – Jesus.

· The most unloving thing God could do would be to let us stop groaning – and to be satisfied without Him.

When Jesus returns there will be no more groaning – For all of our desires will be met in Him.

Isaiah 25:8 NIV

he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.

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What do we do until then?

LEAN INTO THE GRAON – Lean so hard you are …….

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STANDING ON TIPTOES AT THE EDGE OF ETERNITY!

STANDING ON TIPTOES AT THE EDGE OF ETERNITY!

That’s the idea of verse 19

Romans 8:19 NIV

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

Eager Expectations – To stretch the head and crane your neck.

Earnest Expectations – To stretch the head and crane your neck.

The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own,” J. B. Phillips

I know what that looks like – My kids in the nursery at church – on tip toes looking through the sea of people, waiting in anticipation for Mom and Dad.

Creation is on tiptoes in anticipation

We have a choice – we can either complain about our groans or we can use them to anticipate Eternity.

We have a choice – we can either complain about our groans or we can use them to anticipate Eternity.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This groaning can either be fought or fostered.

This groaning can either be fought or fostered.

Drowned out or deepened

You can

· Suppress it with substances

· Dull it with constant distractions

· Or lean into it – creating a greater anticipation for what is to come – New Heaven and Earth.

· God wants you to lean so hard into your groans that it forces you – on to your Tiptoes at the edge of eternity.

And if we will do that it is a game changer -

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4 Results of Leaning into our groan

1. Evaluation

– Trials are put into perspective Vs 18

40 years without the love of your life – Eternity is coming – Eternity with the love of your life

20 years since your child died? – Eternity is coming

Suffering through cancer for years? – Eternity is coming – No sickness or death

Living payday to payday every day of your life? – Eternity is coming, no injustice or poverty.

These, are bad but when we Evaluate them through the Eternity that is coming…… Nothing compares.

The Future is where we must focus, not the past. – Tiptoes of anticipation

2. Traction

– When we lean into the groan we will have power over temptations.

When we are anticipating Eternity like a child anticipating presents on Christmas,

We will not as easily be tempted by the shallow pleasures of our sinful nature.

We will not as easily tempted when we are on our tiptoes anticipating the pleasures that are coming.

3. Action

- When we are on our tiptoes we are ready to spring into action.

When we are on our tiptoes anticipating eternity, we are less self-focused- Ready to jump into action and help those in need.

We begin to see that our pain provides us a microphone to help others. (You have a testimony that can save the life of someone…… Use it.)

4. Elevation -

ON TIPTOES WE CAN SEE OVER THINGS

If you are looking for a way to live a more peaceful life, free from

All of your hurts, hang-ups, and habits, come join a bunch of imperfect

People who gather to learn and help each other in the struggles of today’s world.

Learn how to cope with your struggles!

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How do we stand on tiptoes at the edge of eternity with Anticipation?

Lean into the groan

Realize the groaning is from God and for God.