Forever (2)

Forever

The “Pack-It-All-In” Mentality

Story about Jack

Grew up poor, and determined to give his family better.

House was bigger than he needed. Couldn’t resist the pool.

Couldn’t afford the remodel, but thought he could do it now and pay for it through the years, or wait for years and then pay for it.

His philosopy of “buy the best and you won’t regret” had left him with serious credit card debt on appliance depreciating fast.

He knew eating out was probably costing alot, but it gave his wife a break and the family a nice evening

The vacation home was icing on the cake.

But he couldn’t sleep at night. He was constantly aware of how much he owed, and how the credit card game was getting more and more complicated.

He was always afraid his wife’s debit card wouldn’t be accepted when she went grocery shopping.

He had hold on to check paying bills until after payday, so there would be money in the account.

Everyone thought he was wealthy, but he lived with a pit in his stomach.

Story about Dave & Beth

Total “foodies”

Knew all the best restaurants. Had a great kitchen. Spent alot on food and trying new recipies.

Heard about a European food tour vacation. So what that it cost $3,500/each. They were going and going to have a great time.

They went. Had a great time!

But then, they came home, and were bored and restless.

“What’s next?” They thought.

What do you think will make you happier?

What will make you content?

Food, experience, promotion, money, relationship, travel, success?

2 Cor 5:1-5

English Standard Version Chapter 5

5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

1. What is holiness?

2. Why should I be holy?

Right here, right now.

3. What must I know to be holy?

Jack, Dave & Beth have “eternity amnesia”

They are living as though this life is all there is

4. What must I do to be holy?

Pack everything you can into this moment because this moment is all you are ever going to have.

They are living all their hopes and dreams into this present moment.

Jack’s problem isn’t financial.

He has a forever problem.

You could pay off his debt, and he’ll be back to his problem again.

What if he could see that the most satisfying joys are not found in the possessions of this brief here and now.

He wouldn’t be working so hard, and could have more time lovingly serving his wife and joyfully parenting his children.

David and Beth’s problem isn’t food.

They are convinced that the good life is a life of pleasure. While celebrating the here and now, they have become skilled at denying the inescapable realities of here and now.

they have eternity amnesia

Cutting the foodie aspect out of their lifestyle would not solve their problem, becaue their “pack-it-all-into the here and now” quest would just migrate to another arena.

Jack, David and Beth need to be rescued from a view of life that has no movement toward eternity.

And so do we.

Destination versus preparation.

Many of us treat here and now as a destination.

We try to get from this world, what can only be experienced in the next.

“Our complete, present, personal happiness is not what God is working on in the here and now. Because the plan of his grace is to delier us out of this world to one that is much, much better.”

Living with a preparation mentality also means living with the knowledge that God is using the disappointments and difficulties of this world to prepare us for the next.

Living in this present world is designed by God to produce three things in me:

Longing

Readiness

Hope

When we ask now to give us what only eternity can we end up driven, frustrated, discouraged, and ultimately hopeless.

We ask people, places and things to satisfy our souls and redeem our pasts . . . but they can’t.

Because we live as if this all there is, we are perenially demanding and disappointed, thinking that we have been dealt a particularly difficult hand.

With the assumption that this is our final destination, we constantly want more and better. We’re never able to say, “I have enough.”

We don’t need a better now, we need forever to reshape our here and now.

YOLO

YOLO is a lie!

It’s not true.

So stop panicking. Don’t feel like you have to do everything you possibly can with as much gusto as you can now.

Sure there are temporary highs, but they are short-lived and work only to keep you driving toward the next bit of the “good life.”

Longing for home.

Peace is found only in knowing that this world is meant to prepare us for the next and that the temporary pleasures and pains of this world are not our final address.

We can face difficulty and not give up.

We can experience pleasure without being addicted to it.

Your friends and family aren’t destinations - they’re preparation. (marriage, job, sight sound touch taste experiences)

We’re fat, disappointed, driven, in debt, and addicted becasue we treat this hereand now moment as if it’s all we have.

Live with hope in your heart, eyes to the future, and hands holding this present world loosely.