Made to Last Forever

Made to Last Forever

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) — 11 …He has planted eternity in the human heart,

This Life is Not All There Is

a. Life is hard

i. Even the apostle Paul had troubles

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 NIV

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

iii. I feel this way a lot of the time

iv. Pressed on every side.

v. When it’s like the this we can get the feeling that it will never end. One struggle after another.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 NLT

17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

We fix our gaze on our troubles

viii. God says we are looking at the wrong place.

ix. When in actuality eternity is just around the corner

x. Paul knew this

Living in tents

2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT

1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

There is a lot in this verse.

iii. I love the image of us living in a tent

iv. I’m a hotel kind of person myself

2 Peter 1:13–15 NLT

13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, 15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

It’s a temporary residence – Nothing last forever

A “house” in heaven

i. I love to come home after a long day

ii. After church

iii. Image the heavenly home

iv. It’s not temporary it’s eternal

v. Considering that how should we live?

This life is preparation for the next

a. It’s life changing

i. When you put things in their proper perspective

ii. Paul is our example again

iii. The brag passages

Philippians 3:3–8 NLT

3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

v. We put so much value in the things that have so little value.

vi. Bible study and discipleship are so important

Your values change

a. Death is not your termination

i. There are eternal consequences to everything you do on earth.

ii. Every act of our lives strikes some chord that will vibrate in eternity.

iii. How does this change the way do things?

iv. What will to do different this week.

Eternal perspective

i. The world has different priorities than God does, and many eternally insignificant things (like new trends) are compelling for a season. Stay focused on Christ and Kingdom goals, and remember compared to spending eternity with God, most things don’t matter.

ii. “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (CSB)