Motivation for the Mission

Formalities, Read the Text

Title: Motivation for the Mission

Pray - Intro

Eternity

Definition of Eternity

I have noticed a decline in the preaching and teaching about eternity…

Preaching about heaven and hell draws a line in the sand.

You can’t talk about going to Hell without Jesus, then say it’s open to interpretation.

It is eternally set!

There’s only one way to heaven, through Jesus and it is ETERNAL!

I’m sick of wishy washy preachers who are leading people astray by telling them, “If you’re a good person, you’ll make it.” or that “God’s is love and He wouldn’t send anyone away, so everyone will be saved.”

NO THEY WONT!

Matt 7:13

Matthew 7:13 NASB95

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

There will be many who do not make it to heaven, and their fate is ETERNAL.

You can’t test drive heaven, then decide if you want to follow Jesus.

This makes the consequence or reward real in the sense that there is a definite end to the decision about Christ.

There are only two options: Like a T/F test

Either right or wrong, yes or no, there is no grey area or in between place

Jesus told the thief on the cross, TODAY you will be with me in Paradise…

There’s not another level you have to pass, no holding place to get through, no purgatory to survive, TODAY you will be with ME…

The Thief’s decision in that moment altered his eternal standing forever…

The decision a person makes about Christ will determine their forever.

What more motivation should we need than to know that someone’s forever is at stake?

And I don’t mean forever in the postmodern, Millennial sense of the word… They say when they’ve found the person they “fall in love” with that person is their “forever.” But their scope is as long as they live…

Forever is a lot longer than our life… And if someone’s forever is at stake, it is a much weightier discussion than talking just about this life…

Eternity reveals the Motivation for our Mission

Ps. 90:2

Psalm 90:2 NASB95

Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Repeat last line

When we understand the breadth of eternity, it will align our motives…

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

- Charles Spurgeon

When you look at a person, what do you see?

No matter what your first impressions, remember they will be spending an eternity somewhere and you have the opportunity to influence their decision… HOW WILL YOU DO IT?

The Church has the responsibility to be the light of the world, a city on a hill:

Jesus said of his disciples:

Matt 5:14

Matthew 5:14 NASB95

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

If the world doesn’t see you as a light, what do they see you as?

Story about Uber girl…

2 Cor. 3:3

2 Corinthians 3:3 NASB95

being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

You are the letter of Christ!

The mission of the Church is not just to survive until the second coming, but to reach everyone we can to keep them from spending an eternity in Hell!

Repeat Current point: Eternity Reveals the Motivation of our Mission

The motivation for all we do is fueled by this: that there is an eternal weight in our decisions.

Eternity reveals the motivation of our mission because it shows us that the stakes are larger than this life.

Ps. 90:3

Psalm 90:3 NASB95

You turn man back into dust And say, “Return, O children of men.”

From where God sits on the eternal plain, even the longest lifespan of a man is but a moment in eternity…

Even men who lived longer than we can imagine, hundreds of years in some cases are a blip on the timeline of God…

Who sits outside the confines of time, watching from His eternal abode

ps 93:2

Psalm 93:2 NASB95

Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.

Think about it, God has already lived millions and millions of our lifetimes to an infinite number previous, and when everything else passes away, God will yet remain…

luke 21:33

Luke 21:33 NASB95

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, even before Abraham was, I AM…

God does not exist on a linear timeline as if He is subject to the concept of time He created…

No, He is eternal! He is infinite! He has no beginning, He will have no end, and He exists outside the confines of the time He created.

When you look at life in the light of eternity, it puts things into the right perspective:

All of life’s events, distractions & temptations, trials & tribulations, Highs & Lows, ups & downs, the good & the bad, ALL OF LIFE is temporary compared to eternity!

Rich Young Ruler: Mark 10:17-24

Mark 10:17–24 NASB95

17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 “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.’ ” 20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. 23 And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

This young man was so caught up with this life that he missed what was right in front of him! If he had gotten a glimpse of eternity, he would’ve sold all he had and followed Jesus from that day.

In the light of eternity, all of life’s struggles are coming to an end…

This is why Paul said, I press toward the mark…

Phil 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13–14 NASB95

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I press…

I press through the offence, through the persecution, through the trials of every kind, through perilous temptations, through weakness and pain, I PRESS....

And my motivation is this:

Rom 8:18 “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

What is that GLORY?

Eternity Reveals the Motivation of our Mission because we have a hope of things to come!

1 Thess 4:14-17

1 Thessalonians 4:14–17 NASB95

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

WE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD!

Titus 2:11-13

Titus 2:11–13 NASB95

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

LOOKING FOR THE BLESSED HOPE…

AND THE APPEARING OF THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR, CHRIST JESUS…

The World doesn’t have hope like this… They spend their lives trying to find ways to evade death and suffering, but we have this freedom that even in the face of both, WE HAVE THIS BLESSED HOPE!

Phil 1:21

Philippians 1:21 NASB95

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

What can you do to me that can hinder this hope? NOTHING!

If I’m alive, I will preach the gospel!

If I die, I get to live in the fruits of the Gospel!

There’s an old song…

Blessed Assurance… Jesus is MINE

Jesus is mine and I am His, nothing can separate me from His love…

No enemy can pluck me out of His hand…

My eternity is secure!

What threat can you bring against me?

What trial can overcome me?

Ps. 37:18

Psalm 37:18 NASB95

18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever.

My inheritance is Forever!

As a believer, one who has given their life to Jesus… Your inheritance will be forever!

This is not an inheritance of gold and silver, not flesh and blood, but an inheritance of the Spirit!

1 Cor. 15:50-55

1 Corinthians 15:50–55 NASB95

50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

HE’S COMING IN VICTORY!

HE’S COMING IN POWER!

HE’S COMING AS A MIGHTY WARRIOR!

AND I WILL BE WITH HIM FOREVER!

I have notice a lack of preaching/teaching about heaven and eternity

Now we have a church in America that is so busy trying not to offend anyone that we have failed to stay on mission.

Our complacency in the West is not a tool for salvation, it is a trick of the enemy!!!

It’s time we start talking about eternity again!

There’s a real heaven and a real hell and we will spend eternity either with God or away from Him…

The decision is made today…

There was a time when Christians were still looking at eternity…

We were motivated by it, urged along by it…

They would sing songs about it…

Songs like:

I’m working on a building…

Well I’m working on the building It’s a true foundation I’m holding up the blood-stained Banner for my Lord When I get through working, on this old building... I’m going up to Heaven to get my reward

We’ll understand it better by and by…

Verse 1

We are often tossed and driv’n On the restless sea of time, Somber skies and howling tempests Oft succeed a bright sunshine, In that land of perfect day, When the mists have rolled away, We will understand it better by and by.

Refrain

By and by when the morning comes, All the saints of God are gathered home, We’ll tell the story how we’ve overcome: For we’ll understand it better by and by.

Verse 2

We are often destitute Of the things that life demands, Want of food and want of shelter, Thirsty hills and barren lands, We are trusting in the Lord, And according to His word, We will understand it better by and by.

Refrain

Verse 3

Trials dark on ev’ry hand, And we cannot understand, All the ways that God would lead us To that blessed Promised Land; But He guides us with His eye And we’ll follow till we die. For we’ll understand it better by and by. Refrain

Verse 4 Temptations, hidden snares Often take us unawares, And our hearts are made to bleed For many a thoughtless word or deed, And we wonder why the test When we try to do our best. But we’ll understand it better by and by.

I’ve never been this homesick before

Play if possible

There's a light in the window The table's spread in splendor Someone's standing by the open door I can see a crystal river I must be near forever See, I've never been this homesick before

I see the bright light shine It's just about hometime I can see my Father standing at the door This world has been a wilderness I'm ready for deliverance Lord, I've never been this homesick before

I can see the family gather Sweet faces, all familiar And no one's old or feeble anymore And my lonesome heart is cryin' Think I'll spread my wings for flyin' See I've never felt this homesick before

See the bright light shine It's just about hometime I can see my Father standing at the door This world has been a wilderness I'm ready for deliverance Lord, I've never been this homesick before

See the bright light shine It's just about hometime I can see my Father standing at the door This world has been a wilderness I'm ready for deliverance Lord, I've never been this homesick before Lord, I've never been this homesick before, thank you Lord

Eternity

Reveals the Motivation for our Mission

Reminds us that the stakes outweigh this life

Points us to that Blessed Hope of His return…

He’s coming back and we need to take everyone we can with us when we meet Him in the air…

Pray/Altar Call