Keep Eternity in Mind in Everything You Do

We heard it a few times, who is going to circumcise our heart? The Lord your God is. The old covenant you had to do the circumcision yourself or have somebody do it for you. But it was a picture of inner circumcision and inner circumcision that the Lord said he would do. In the book of Philippians you read about, Philippians chapter 3, the true circumcision and the false circumcision. And if you are trying to circumcise your own heart, what does that mean? Trying to live up to God's standards and somehow think that you're doing a little bit better this time or trying a little harder this year will somehow make it. The only thing I can pray for is that you'll quickly come hit a brick wall or come to an end of yourself and things will get so desperate that you'll say, Lord I can never in a million years ever circumcise my own heart to love you. It's impossible. I can never live a life that's pleasing to you. And that's when we reach faith and we thrust ourselves on God and say our Father and say, Lord I'm incapable of it. You must do it in me and he will. That's when the miracle begins. Thank you primary class. They've completed the book of Romans chapter 8. Great job. I loved hearing the top verses that you all picked. Some of you picked difficult ones. Some of you picked easy ones. Regardless, I hope that these verses you've memorized in Romans chapter 8 will stick with you until the end of your life. I really believe that's our purpose in getting you to memorize it. And it helps us to hear it. I like that we spend a good 15 or 20 minutes hearing the memory verses. 15 minutes or so. Hearing the same ones over and over again. And maybe in some other churches they would think, well that's a waste of time or something like that. But for us it's not. We want to spend as much time as we possibly can hearing our children also speak God's Word. So we really enjoy that we spend that time together. I want to ask you family how the Bible reading and book reading is going. Don't give up. Keep at it. And I hope we'll we hope to keep reminding you periodically about it. The Bible reading plan we've shared. And for those of you online that want to join us in that Bible reading, you don't have to wait till next January 1st. Start now. It's more important that you read something every day. And the devil will come up with all kinds of excuses over why not to read the Bible. I tell you often, isn't it crazy how when you want to do one of two things. Spend time in God's Word or spend time in prayer. Immediately the phone will ring or you'll think, I need to do that other thing. And something or the other will suddenly become more important. The devil wants to do everything he can to keep you from this book. And don't let him. Don't let him. He knows this is the one weapon you have. This is the sword that can destroy his work. Don't let him keep you from this book children. And the book reading, as you know we're reading that book A Good Foundation. We heard from Kezia last week how that book opened up her eyes to so many things about the truth of God's Word. Including ultimately understanding what baptism really means. And so it's good for us to, if you feel like you've already laid that foundation, check it again. See if the foundation that's been laid in true repentance, in true faith. And your old man being crucified with Christ. And baptism being a picture of that. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. The importance of that. Fellowship in the body of Christ. All of these fundamental foundational things are taught in that book. And so that's why we've chosen that as the first book for this year. When we go through these 30 odd books or so that we're going to go through over the next three years. 36 books I guess. Well no. I think some books will take more than a month. So about 30 books or so we're going to go through in the next three years. And I've shared also with you and family that it's a good practice if you can to read it together. Maybe before dinner, after dinner or something. Just a chapter or so. I think this book is 11 chapters. So you have about 11 days to finish it before the end of the month. Again it's not a school. This is not. Nobody's checking up on you. We're not going to have you report to us whether you did or not. We think it'll help you. And it'll help your children as well. So take it seriously. I hope you do. Yeah. Let's turn to 1st Peter chapter 1. I've been thinking about some things over the last few weeks I would say. And it's been burning in my heart. I thought I would share from that burden with you all. I tell you family it's very easy to preach in this church because I believe you're one with us elders in our desire to please the Lord. We're not looking for anything earthly. We don't have any earthly ambition. Where we see it cropping up every now and then we are quick to put it away. Lord I don't want anything on this earth really. And little by little the Lord does show us every now and then a little bit of a selfish earthly ambition. And we try to deal with it radically. But knowing that you all are here by choice. And almost all of you have been here for some time. Gone to know us and hear the see the vision and the burden of our hearts. And the direction we want to go individually in our marriages in our homes. And as a group of people that God has called together to be knit into one new man that's heading in that direction. Not pulling in multiple different directions. It's a wonderful thing. And it's very easy to serve and to teach God's word in the church like this. Where even the children are growing up with a desire for that. What a precious thing. I don't take that for granted. And so thank you family for the support and the prayer that you all do for us. Who teach in us all of us elders. That's really making a difference. I see that you know Paul would pray often. Pray that I would have utterance. That I would have freedom to speak. You think Paul don't you know you have all the doctrine. Isn't the Holy Spirit giving you a word. He says yeah. But I still need a freedom. And I've sometimes been in places where I've had to preach. And there is a spiritual battle. And I'm laboring through the message. Not here. Actually sometimes here in the years ago. But at other times in other places. And I sense Lord. I hope somebody's praying for me right now. That knows that I'm here traveling in this place. Because there's a battle going on. But I thank the Lord over the years. It's become easier and easier to pour out the heart of us elders in our messages here. And you know as we were singing some of the songs today. And especially that last one. Where it's talked about. Behold the man upon the cross. My sin upon his shoulder. And it was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished. It's very moving words I agree. But what does that do for you. And I've had times in my life. Songs move me to tears often when I sing. And it's a good thing. But there have been times in my life where I could sing a song like that. Weep and just say thank you Lord. And go out and hours later just live for myself. And I hope that's not the kind of life you want to live. I hope that when we sing a song like that. The result of that is that you like Jesus says. You sit down after and say Lord I can't stand anymore. I need to be quiet. Because I want to see how my meditation. And you're opening my eyes afresh this morning. To see the sacrifice that you paid for me. It's going to change the way I live my life. There's another song. An old song we sing. By and by. When I look on his face. What do you think will happen when you see Jesus. The man you know we say. Behold the man upon the cross. Yeah you can visualize it. You can read God's word. Maybe you've seen a movie or a picture. A painting or a bible story. You've been told. Yeah Jesus was there. And that's what he looked like. And his face was scarred and beaten. Bleeding. And they thrust a sword in his side. And blood poured out. Water poured out. And all that. But what will it actually be when I see him face to face. When I look on his face. The man who died for me. Like we sing in that old hymn. I believe I was struck afresh when we were standing there. I wish I had given him more. By and by. When I look on his face. When he actually. When I see him. I will be like him. We read in 1st John 3. My favorite verse in the bible. When we see him we shall be like him. That verse has been an anchor for my life for many years. I praise God for that. And me. Being conformed into the image of Jesus as I will be. I believe with all my heart. Committed to that. Work that the Holy Spirit is going to do. Is doing in my life. But when I see him. Having been fully conformed into his image. I know without a doubt. I wish I had given him more. I'll think back. To some date I think. I think Lord that day when I chose what I wanted. Because I felt like this will be what I want. This will make me feel better. When I chose for myself out of selfishness and self-centeredness. I wish I hadn't done that. That moment when the temptation was there and I yielded to sin because it was an outlet for me. I wish I hadn't done that. Now I believe it is possible to live in heaven without regret. I believe that. I'm going to tell you the only way that that is possible. Is if we live in such a way on this earth. We say Lord I don't want to have any regret in heaven. And I want to tell you. I wish I could look at every single one of you. From the youngest to the oldest. In your eyes. Put my hand on my shoulder and tell you it's not too late. Today is the day of salvation. It's not too late. If you decide today and you say Lord I'm going to give myself fully completely to you. It's not at all too late. So that in eternity you can stand there with Jesus without any regret. If I read the Bible carefully. The word of God carefully. I think there are some who are going to be in heaven with regret. I don't. I can't explain it. And people. I've said this before. And people have tried to explain it to me. That somebody who lived in a completely selfish self-centered life. All their life. And then barely made it into heaven. 1st Corinthians 3 talks about this. Where his entire life's work is destroyed. Because it was wood, hay and straw. His own ideas. And his own interests. Not gold, silver and precious stones. His entire life's work is burned up. But he makes it barely. Do you think such a person will not have regrets? Where they stand there and they says I barely made it by the skin of my teeth. But the whole life that I lived for myself is burned up. I can't imagine that such a person would not have regret. But I want to tell you again. The reason I want to believe that that is a real possibility. Is because the Bible says so. In 1st Corinthians 3. Read it carefully. It talks about different stars having different degrees of light. But I'm not going to make that the basis of my message this morning. To try to convince you of that. But I'll tell you this. I would rather believe that that's possible. And live with such abandon. And give my life so fully to Jesus today. Not because I don't want to have regret in heaven. But because my eyes have been opened a little bit more to see exactly how much he gave up for me. That he gave himself so fully. So completely. And it's heaven is irrelevant in that perspective. I say Lord Jesus you gave yourself so fully. So completely. How can I live with seeking my own interest and living for myself even for one more minute on this earth. And I wish I could go back and start over. And live my entire life for you from the day I was born. And this is where the beauty of the message of justification comes in. If you have faith. And you live in the faith of the justification that Jesus Christ has won for you. He looks as if you today. If you believe it. And I tell you if any one of you is willing to believe this today. It is so. Because God said so. He looks at you as if you were righteous all along. As if from the very first day you followed him. This is the finished work of Jesus Christ that he's done for me. That I'm not sitting here thinking oh I wish I could have redone that. Yeah there's lots of things we could have redone. I tell you God knows that. And he chose you before the foundations of the world. Knowing all those things that you would. Those sinful years you would waste. And that's why he sent his son. The only one who could do such a perfect complete work. That today if you believe him. And you might be I don't know however old you are. Today if you believe him. He says guess what you were righteous all along. Because Jesus righteousness who was righteous all along has been imparted to you. And when you see that. Does that say okay yeah fine then let me go on sinning some more. Because yeah Jesus has done it all right. Then you haven't seen true justification. And you'll get a wake-up call in heaven or in hell probably. First Peter chapter 1 we read in verse 17. If you address as father how deep the father's love for us. We just sang it. And if you addressed him as father. The one who impartially judges according to each one's work. You see that. Let's read it slowly. The one you call him father. And you say Jesus finished the work for everybody. It's the finished work of Jesus. But if you call him father. And he is an impartial judge according to each one's work. One who gave one percent. Barely made it in. One who gave a hundred percent. God is going to judge each one's work impartially. And the one who lived for himself or herself. And just says oh well lord the finished work of Jesus covered me right. I was righteous all along. He says I'm going to judge you by your work. And I'm going to judge that other person by their work. If you address his father the one who impartially judges according to each one's work. So what should we do? Conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth. Why? Does it make you want to say I'm afraid? Is this a message of fear? God has not given to us a spirit of fear? Is that the response of your heart? Ask God to open your eyes to say Lord what does first first Peter 1 verse 17 mean? When it says that I should conduct myself in fear during my stay on this earth. I'll tell you I spoke a little bit about that. The fear that I will have regret in heaven when it's too late. Let me when I face that situation where I say I could choose what will feel good for me or choose what is pleasing to the Lord. Help me never to please myself. Help me to reject that. Not out of the love of God. Yeah the love of God can do that. But I've said this often in the church. It's the kindness of God that lives us leads us to repentance. But I believe it is the fear of God that keeps us from sin. Please remember this dear family. Yes the kindness of God, the love of God leads us to repentance. But it is the fear of God that will keep us from sin having repented. And you'll hear a lot in Christendom about the love of God. Come back the love of God. He'll go over the mountains. He'll chase you. He'll round after you. And I believe in all of that with all of my heart. I know the love of God is why I'm here today. But I also believe it is the fear of God. The fear that this verse talks about that keeps me from sin today. And it's no wonder that you hear almost every day some other pastor that is exposed with all kinds of evil sin. Who preached about the love of God and preached about the love of God and ran did evangelistic sermons and drew people sinners into God's house and all of that. But they didn't fear God. So they themselves fell into sin and adultery. So it is conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth. Why? Is it because God is angry at you and about to hit you over the head? No. Read. Let's continue. There's a semicolon or a comma at the end of that sentence at the end of that verse. Knowing conduct yourselves in fear during your time on this earth. The time of your stay on this earth. Knowing what? That you weren't redeemed with precious things like silver and gold. No that's not how the bible reads. Perishable things. Peter picks the most valuable thing that the world thinks of. Silver and gold. And he says listen you weren't redeemed with a whole bunch of gold. Imagine if you were supposed to be put to death. But somebody paid a large amount of money to set you free from that death. You were sentenced to death. Death sentence. You're walking to the the chamber where they're going to strap you down and and put the fluid into you and you're going to be killed. Put to death. And then somebody says hey listen I'll buy his soul. I'll buy him his life. And somehow the judge agrees to it. Okay well it's this room full of gold and silver which this person had to pay so that you're alive today. And every day you have to walk by that room and you see in there wow that's a lot of gold and silver. That's why I'm alive today. And Peter says imagine such a large room full of gold and silver which is the reason why you're not in hell today. And remember that is perishable. That's like dirt. That's like dung manure compared to what it was that Jesus had to pay for your soul. Let's read it carefully again. Conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth knowing that what you were not redeemed with perishable things, earthly things, just loose care, light things, cheap things like silver and gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers but with precious blood as of a lamb unblemished and spotless the blood of Christ. Now take that same room and imagine that it's a big huge vat. You know the vat is a big bowl, a big basin, big basin, transparent basin. And you walk by that every day and you see it's blood. It's a whole basin, a big bucket, big huge bucket. You know sometimes you go to these water parks. I think Chilson has it too. It's like big bucket fills up with water and after a while it slowly tips over. This whole bucket dumps over on you and it's fine. But you know there's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. That is the reason that I'm redeemed today. That's what Peter's saying. It's like now I drew the picture of a room full of gold and silver and you can think oh yeah that's but that's perishable. Now you see this picture of a big huge basin full of the blood of Jesus and his blood had to be drained completely from him to fill that vat, that big huge bucket that could wash me from my sin. Let's turn over to Revelation chapter 5. This is what singing about beholding the man upon the cross does for me. It says Lord I want to live in fear. I don't want to take sin for granted. I don't want to ever again choose what feels good for me. I don't want to please myself ever again because I've seen what you, what the price you paid. Revelation chapter 5. This is John writing verse 1. I saw on the right hand of him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back sealed up with seven seals. Book written inside and on the back sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a long voice. And I want to tell you what I believe this book says. On the back it said, it doesn't tell us this is this the picture I got as I reading it just this morning. I got on the back it says inside are the names of those who are redeemed. That's written on the back. You can see what's in the back but something's written inside. You can't see what's written inside. That's how I pictured it. A book written inside and on the back sealed up with seven seals. And what do you think your desire, what would be your response if I showed you a book and says hey inside is the names of those who are redeemed. He says can I look? Is my name there? That was John's response as well. Let's continue reading. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice but it's sealed up. Remember this is a sealed book. And a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals. Loud voice in heaven and no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep. You get a picture of what this is John. John has walked with Jesus for 60 years, 65 years. He's 90 years old at this point. He grew up the son of a God-fearing parents I believe. His mom was a disciple of Jesus. His dad also I think raised him in the fear of God. John walked with God, leaned his head on Jesus. At the age of 90 plus God gives him this vision of what was going on in heaven. And he sees this book and he knows his name is written in this book and he's not sure. And he says, Lord is my name there? He says, is there somebody that can open the book and write my name in there or confirm that my name's in there? There was no one. And he began to weep. I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it. And then one of the elders said to me, hey stop weeping. See this is John looking from he's still on earth. He hasn't really fully seen clearly. Sort of like he can see a little bit. He's seeing pictures here and there of what's going on in heaven. He said, I'm wondering Lord is it me and there's no one to open the book. And then an elder comes to him and says, listen it's okay. One of the elders said to me, stop weeping. Behold the lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals. Set to rest, put to rest. I hope you see that. I hope that does something for you. Not that you say, oh that's great. Next time I'll sing a little bit louder. No. Lord I want to conduct myself in fear when I'm here on this earth. Because it cost you the lamb. It costs you the lion who's from the tribe of Judah, the lamb who was slain. He continues to say in verse six, I saw between the throne with the four living creatures and the elders a lamb standing as if slain. Verse seven, he came and took the book out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. When he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. Each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of instances. Now we can sing. This is the meaning of it. Have you seen the lamb that was slain? Have you seen the precious blood of Jesus and what it cost you? Does it cause you to want to live in fear here on this earth? Then break out the harp and sing loudly. But sadly what's going on in a lot of Christendom is yeah just all you need is a good is a guitar and drums and a keyboard and some type musicians and you can sing about and write all these love songs to God that are meaningful. They don't result in us living in fear in our days that are here on this earth. They broke out the harp and the golden bowls full of incense and the prayers of the saints and they sang a new song and they said worthy are you to take the book and to break its seals for you were slain and purchased for God with your blood with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom priest to our God. They will reign upon the earth. Sometime read the rest of that chapter. I didn't plan to read it but I was sitting there after we sang and thought this is what I must start with. It must result in a changed life otherwise it's meaningless. There's a memory I've had recently for the I've been reminded of for the last few weeks and that is it's one of my favorite childhood memories and that is of waiting on a train platform in India in Bangalore usually at the train platform and we were going to go on a journey. I love trains. Trains are you know just the sound of the train the click clack on the tracks and the sound of the and you know with each progression in technology I feel like that romance is gone. The old steam engines had it the best and then the diesel engines and then all the electric ones there they miss it a little bit okay but I remember the first time I went on a train it was a steam engine back in the day you see the guy putting coal and stoking it up and then there's plumes of smoke coming up and anyway that was one of my favorite memories but I the Lord took me back over the last few weeks recently to that memory of standing on the train and peaking you know you don't get too too close to the edge of the platform because you you might fall over and of course my parents were always making sure I don't get too close but you want to see is the train coming is the train coming and that's the picture I've been reminded of recently of how we must live on this earth. The train is coming brothers and sisters family trains coming Jesus is coming very very soon and if you're living on this earth without that peaking desire that says is it today will you come today perhaps or is it oh yeah today I've got this job and I've got these meetings lined up and I've got that other thing to do and I've got that other thing to do and our sense of eternity is completely robbed because of the busyness of the life we live and that's I caught myself a little bit with that in the last few weeks I say Lord I never want to lose sight of eternity. I don't care whether it's good or bad in the earth's in the world's view if my day is a good day or a bad day that's irrelevant. Eternity is coming that's what matters. There's no longer good days or bad days it's a day that I'm here one more opportunity one last chance perhaps before Jesus comes. The king is coming the king is coming. I can hear the trumpet sound it sings and I'll see his blessed face soon are you are you listening for that trumpet sound more than the the phone that rings and the ding because you got a text message or some other social media post or an Instagram follower something like are you listening for the trumpet sound and it is a trumpet I'll tell you that but it's you won't hear it unless you're listening for it and I thought about what it was like on those platforms in India there was vendors selling things you know you could buy lovely cup of chai or Indian coffee or some snacks some somebody else make trying to make a little bit of money because there's people on the platform all of these little things are pictures of what's going on in the world today it says that Jesus said the coming of the son of man will be like the days of Noah when what were they doing yeah there was sin going on but you know what Jesus said they were just living everyday lives marrying giving in marriage doing business and then the son of man came like a thief of night the flood came like a thief in the night and the son of man will come like that there were vendors there beggars people wanting a little bit of money they're on the platform I remember thinking if you had to go to the restroom you better hurry up and do it before in case you miss the train because the train comes and you know there's a particular train station that we would go to which wasn't like the main you know the main terminal it was like a station along the way and so the train would only stop for a couple minutes I mean literally I think it was like two minutes and it was a short train stop because it was a stop along the way the main destination was quite a distance from our home so we would usually not be able to go there and can you imagine my parents with us four kids and all our bags and we're getting ready and literally I remember my parents having a little bit of nervousness and like okay we got to be ready be ready because the train comes you've got literally a short amount of time to get everything on otherwise you're being left behind and that's the picture I've been reminded of over and over and over again for the last few weeks are you ready have you set matters right have you forgiven everybody that needs to be forgiven or is there baggage is there something that will be left behind some matter that will be set right when you get on the train and then you realize the train is left and it's too late if you had to go to the restroom it's like quick better go in there quick you know mom would rush us in and like okay go to the bathroom quick come back out or actually I don't remember ever getting to go to the bathroom on the platform it was like nope forget it you got to hold it till you get on the train if you didn't go before you left home tough that's that's the mentality I believe we need brothers and sisters there's no time to waste on things that are irrelevant set it right now don't wait till next week don't wait till next month or next year you're not guaranteed that you'll have it set it right now luggage make sure everything's there ready to go you got your hand halfway on the bags ready to go because the train's coming it's not oh the one bags over here one bags over there and and I thought about those bags like our homes our children our responsibilities the things that God will call us to give account for do you know where they are do you know well your flock brothers and sisters fathers do you know your hearts of your children mothers do you know the hearts of your children you know what's going on in them are your hands on the bag handles as it were because God has entrusted that to you they won't get left behind let's turn to Psalm 39 Psalm 39 begin reading in verse 1 I said I will guard my ways look at this this is David in the Old Testament he doesn't have the Holy Spirit living within him he's had experiences of the Holy Spirit coming upon him but the reverence he has this is a song you know I wish we sang more songs about the fear of God don't see too many of that but this is David writing a song David I imagine David in the pastures with the sheep and the Lord tells him hey David I notice you've written a lot of songs about how you love me and I'm your shepherd and all that but have you written one recently about guarding your ways David says okay Lord give me a song that Santosh RLCF will read three thousand four thousand years from now he says I said I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence I was mute and silent I refrained even from good and my sorrow grew worse my heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned there was a burning within him then I spoke with my tongue why did God instruct him to put a muzzle over his mouth why does James say it's be slow to speak and quick to listen take time before you spout off at the mouth before you just say that be slow to speak say less whether it's in the home or in the workplace or here in our meetings be slow to speak be quick to listen why because he says in verse four look at what happened to David this has been my prayer Lord I want to be slower to speak I want my words to be few we sing in another song you are God in heaven here I am on earth and so let my words be few you're God in heaven I'm here on earth help me never to forget that help me never to think that I can lift up my head and say how dare you God let my words be few you're God in heaven I'm here on earth he says Lord verse four make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days how long are my days help me to know that you see the quietness that came upon David as he was singing the song because God showed him David I know you're a great singer and all that but you've got a short amount of time here on this earth verse five behold you have made my days as hand breaths that's a hand breath right there I think it used to be 10 inches my fingers are getting shorter it's about nine and a half inches now hand breath children the next time you want to know how long your life is just spread your hands like that that's that's it think about that compared with the distance between here and New York City how many hand breaths will it take before you can measure getting to New York City and remember this hand breath is your life on this earth and that is eternity how many let's okay maybe New York City is too far here to Denver or here to your house imagine if dad or mom said okay listen we're not driving the car home we're going to measure hand breaths to our house it'll take you a few days a few days to measure how long it'll take me to get home you think well it only takes us 10 minutes to get home oh but now I see how far that really is take put your hand like that sometimes say lord help me never to forget this is the short life I have that trial you're going through that wonderful time you're having is short it's ending life is passing away make me to know or behold you have made my days as hand breaths and my lifetime is nothing in your sight it's even less my lifetime as nothing in your sight David's getting a deeper picture of how short this life is see this is the man who was going to be this little boy was going to be king was going to rule for 40 years in Israel and God was trying to impress on him David before you can serve me before you can be the best king that's ever led my people I want you to see that that is short that wonderful time of blessing that service that kingdom that all you you all your enemies will be at peace with you you'll finally conquer everybody but I want you to remember even that is short it's just a hand breath you think you had you were king for 40 years you know think for 40 years that's a great thing imagine if somebody in this in the world said I was ruler for 40 years you would say wow wow that's pretty impressive and God needed somebody who would rule Israel knowing this is short surely verse last part of verse 5 every man at his best is a mere breath every man or woman at their best is a mere breath just gone verse 6 surely every man walks about as a phantom surely they make an uproar for nothing these breaths are trying to make themselves seem powerful by how they can dunk the basketball or throw a touchdown or hit a ball out of the park and or make a lot of money and have a nice car and have this and have that and be actors and and all this this these wonderful things that the world is pursuing and he says no it's just a breath trying to impress you with their success surely they make an uproar for nothing he amasses riches and does not know who will gather them think about the richest man that lived that died last year whoever's the richest man who lived that died last year where is those riches where is he you think he's enjoying those riches even a little bit even if he's in heaven there could be some rich people in heaven I believe there will be some who it's jesus said it's difficult but there will be some not because of their riches but because they counted that as nothing and they realize that man I can't take that with me and what's done for christ will last old ct studs poem comes to me mine over and over again only one life it'll soon be passed and like we say here only what christ does through me will last only one life you don't get to do it again if you waste your whole life make a mess of it and at the end of your life you blew it all away and made bad choices and didn't let christ set you right back on the path and that was it and the story ended that way it's over for all eternity it's over he amasses riches and does not know who will gather them and now lord for what do I wait my hope is in you and god said aha I can give my kingdom to this this man he won't be taken up with how all he'll victory over all his enemies and how long he's a king and all those things now david was imperfect he sinned but he was a man after god's own heart because of this he says lord I recognize how small I am now lord what shall I do recognizing how small I am I'll wait for you my hope is in you james says similar words let's look at it james chapter 4 keep eternity in mind in everything you do brothers and sisters that's the message keep eternity in mind in everything you do even if you're sitting there on a phone call in a meeting or working with your hands at the job you do there is this this should be this mentality office jesus coming looking around the corner is the train coming keep eternity in mind in everything you do everything because if there's one thing that you do that you don't keep eternity in mind that's the thing that the devil will get a foothold in is there some plan you have that's not with eternity in mind some business venture some new job some thing you're going to do even a vacation no these are all good things but every single one of those things dear family that must be done with eternity in mind james chapter 4 we'll read in verse 13 come now come this is an invitation this is not a scary message this is not a you know oh be afraid this is come come now i love whenever the bible says come you remember when in the old testament says come now let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow here's a similar message jesus saying come come now you who say today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit come now you who say yeah i'm going to do this i have this plan i have that other plan we're going to do this we're going to do that other thing and oh it's going to be a wonderful life i'm going to make for myself by this venture and that other thing yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow you're already making plan for next month and next six months from now and next year and 10 years from now you don't even know what your life's going to be like tomorrow you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away the next time you're out on a cold morning or cold evening and you see your breath children i love you know children love to do that when you see your breath see how far it goes even if you blow with all your might it's going to stop within a few inches not even a foot probably maybe if you're lucky and that's your life that's your life it appears for a little while and then it vanishes away instead verse 15 you ought to say if the lord wills keeping eternity in mind if jesus doesn't come before that i will do that if jesus doesn't call me home before that i'm going to do that tomorrow if jesus doesn't call me home before that i've got this plan not not just to impress people you know now saying lord willing is kind of so like dv they put at the end of of the phrase they don't even want to say lord willing they say dv stands for in latin dio volante that means god willing that's what it means you know a lot of times you see at the end of thing blah blah dv god willing i'm not trying to make fun of anybody here but is that really what you think that everything that you're planning is really only if the lord wills that comes first not at the end of oh this blah blah blah lord willing no lord willing because everything i'm doing is from the perspective of eternity if if the train doesn't get here before that i can buy your cup of chai if the train doesn't get here before that i have time to go to the restroom if the train doesn't get here before that i can do this so i can do that imagine one of your i imagine myself as a little child saying hey dad can i go there's a nice looking dog over there can i pet that dog no we weren't allowed to pet dogs in india but even if i was the one thing my dad or mom would say if the train doesn't get you before that maybe we have time to do that do you see brothers and sisters the heart of how god wants us to live on this earth yes he has given us all things to enjoy freely first timothy six makes it clear enjoy it don't be don't be condemned if god has given you something i read stories often of people even here in loveland who are in need homeless people people were expressing i'm on some neighborhood groups and i read about they don't you know their gas is shut off and the electricity shut up and say lord you've given me so much i wish i could bring all of those people and help them if i could i know you've given me a calling and i know that's not necessarily the answer but lord i want to live with everything that i do i'm not going to feel guilty about the blessings you've given me sure that's fine thank you lord for the job thank you i have a home the power is there and the gas is there and i have a job and and there's some some savings i have that's great my children are clothed we are clothed we're not starving we're not shivering in the cold but with all of that lord jesus i want to enjoy it freely but if the lord wills verse 15 instead you ought to say if the lord wills we will live and also do this or that but as it is you boast in your arrogance all such boasting is evil what boasting he's not talking about i'm better than you boasting that says i'm going to do this and it's going to succeed therefore to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it to him it is sin i've never seen until more recently this verse i've known this verse verse 17 do you know that verse i hope you do to him to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it to him it is sin if you know the right thing to do in other words you know this is what i should do but this is what i prefer to do that's sin not murder adultery all those things it is you know what the right thing to do is and you don't do it that's sin and in this context what is he talking about if you know that eternity should be in your right in front of you everything should be looked at through the lens of eternity you know my eyes are getting weaker i think i noticed that a little bit so i don't yet have to wear glasses but i probably will very soon but imagine if my eyes were really really bad and i couldn't see without glasses and so i needed these glasses um i would need to put those glasses on and then i could clearly see even even uh you know something in big font but you take those glasses away i can't see anything imagine if that was the case now picture eternity as those glasses you're looking at that trial that's coming your way it says lord how give me your perspective of eternity on this trial that other blessing that you've given me oh they they said that they might they're up for they've given me a promotion in my job or a salary hike okay lord let me put my eternity glasses on which you should never take them off by the way but you're looking at that even from eternity lord what does this extra money that's going to come to my bank account because they gave me a bonus or a raise do from the standpoint of eternity lord and let it never let that blessing that you give me never cause me to lose sight of eternity or let that pain or that suffering i go through never cause me to lose sight of eternity good or bad from the world standpoint let it always be lord from the standpoint of eternity uh let's turn to chapter 12 jesus talked about his coming here and there's a phrase here that really prompted these thoughts that i've been sharing with you it's luke 12 verse 35 be dressed in readiness be dressed in readiness it's not just clothing it's a mentality dress your mind in readiness is what he's saying it's not a it's not a shirt or pants or a dress or uh you know clothing that you wear or a hat or something like that that you can take on and off dress your mind in readiness dress your spirit in readiness our memory verse for this week dress your heart in readiness with all diligence because everything starts there dress everything you dress your speech in readiness because you may say that word to your wife or your husband in a harsh tone and be away from them for an hour and in that hour jesus could call you home can you wait one hour to set things right if you left home to go to work and you know you said something to your wife in a harsh tone or if you're sitting in your office on your call on your meetings the door is locked and you're sitting there and and you know things are not right with your wife she's just a few feet away on the other side of that door in the kitchen or homeschooling or or whatever or she's at the store and you know there's something not set right how long can you let it be is there a burning within you lord i i know i've got this meeting and all that but my mind is naked from the standpoint of eternity my spirit is naked from the standpoint of eternity i don't want to get to eternity naked be dressed in readiness there's a an urgency there's a burning say lord i gotta set it right as soon as this meeting's over or i call and say hey guys i gotta step out for a second doesn't that happen all the like something happened i gotta step out pause honey i am so sorry will you forgive me this is being dressed in readiness be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit keep your lamps lit let's go back a few verses luke 12 verse 32 you see see this is a warning there's a there's some serious warnings in this chapter in luke 12 but he begins by saying and really you could go all the way back but i just want to start in verse 32 don't be afraid little flock luke 12 verse 32 don't be afraid little flock your father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom or i think the kingdom says it is the father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom it's like he's saying listen this eternity don't be afraid of it this living in the light of eternity it's god is so excited to give it to you it's going to be like nothing compared to anything in this earth you can't compare anything on this earth to it your father is so excited to give you eternity and everything the divine nature his life it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom so verse 32 sell your possessions and give to charity have this sold mindset lord that job i sold it for the pearl of great price even though i still have it i sold it a long time ago you know imagine you know sometimes they when you buy a house they'll they'll extend it the sellers of the house will will be allowed to stay on for a little bit longer because you know some agreement let's say okay it was timing wasn't right so we'll let you you buy the house and you let them stay in the house for another month or two do you know that the house that you're living in physically the job you have the earthly body that you have was purchased by jesus christ you're not your own you've been bought for the price it belongs to him you're living in it for a short amount of time so you know it's still the house that you have even though you're living in it and the bank says it belongs to you and then it from your standpoint when you get the eternity glasses on it says sold it's not mine it was sold proudly sold you know how these realtors probably say sold in front of the house sold by whoever can you look at the home that you're living in the job that you have the clothes that you have the money you have the vehicles you have sold gladly given up for him who died to win me the pearl of great price sold sell your possessions give to charity make yourselves money belts which do not wear out an eternal belt eternal money belt an eternal money bank account an unfailing treasure in heaven where no thief comes near nor moth destroys because where your treasure is there your heart will be also i would say it like this your where you're looking is an indication of where your treasure is are you looking at that little benefit you got that little blessing that extra bit of money or that other job prospect are you looking there then that's a clear indication that that's your treasure or are you looking at the pains you have to go through on this earth the suffering and again please understand this is not to minimize that we all go through trials and pain some more than others and i sometimes i'm perplexed lord why do you allow some to go through more difficult things than others earthly wise but i tell you this where your treasure is your heart is there and you can say even in the midst of that painful day where you're suffering with pain or you're suffering with a trial you're struggling in in not knowing how god's going to work this all out and there's a burden on you your treasure is still there and you're looking there and that's what i want to encourage you with your brothers and sisters if you're weary and heavy laden because because perhaps the christian life you're trying to live just seems heavy and you're not able to make it come to jesus he says come to me you who are weary and heavy laden there's another wonderful time when jesus has come are you weary and heavy laden because you've been busy looking at either the blessings or the the difficult things on this earth the pain and the suffering and the trials and burdens you have for others he says yeah i know they're there but fix your eyes on heaven fix your eyes on where your treasure is look there let the your perspective of the things of this earth be guided by the fact that you're looking to heaven look at it through eternity's glasses through eternity's lens keep a finger there i want to go over to colossians chapter 3 and just see that that's that's really what i believe this verse means you know you read colossians chapter 1 especially where it exalts jesus i have a little piece of paper here in colossians chapter 1 it's an old hymn that my in my mom's handwriting that i hope will last maybe i'll have to laminate it so it doesn't grow uh doesn't get torn but it is this hymn be thou supreme oh jesus christ no creed nor form nor word nor holy church nor human love compared to thee my lord and i my mom wrote it some years ago and i don't know how i got it i might have stolen it from her maybe she gave it to me i don't know but i'm going to keep this nobody else is going to steal from me but i put it in colossians chapter 1 because that's really the chapter that stands out to me that exalts jesus that he might receive the pre-eminence he might become great greater you want jesus to become greater in your eyes than before then read colossians chapter 1 i pray it will be so last verse goes be thou supreme oh jesus christ my soul exalts in thee to be thy slave to do thy will is the greatest joy that i have we sing that song often and then you get over to read chapter 2 work that god has done for us in colossians chapter 3 he says if you've seen jesus is exalted seen him high and lifted up therefore colossians 3 verse 1 if you have been raised up with christ this christ whom the holy spirit has painted such a wonderful picture of how amazing he is how wonderful is how supreme you want him to be if this is the christ with whom you've been raised up keep seeking the things above fix your vision on eternity fix your vision i keep seeking the things above oh this other temptation came my way no keep seeking the things above oh this other blessing came my way no keep seeking the things above oh this other trial keep seeking the things above oh they said that to me or about me keep seeking the things above where christ is your treasure he is your treasure seated at the right hand of god set your affection set your affection this is something you have to do you have to choose say lord i choose i know that that would be the easier option i know i could do that or it seems like that would be the easy way out no but i choose to set my affection on the things above not on the things that are on earth because you've died sold even your life your physical life is sold over this body as beautiful or handsome as you think it is sold belongs to somebody else dead you have died and your life is hidden with christ with christ in god and when christ who is our life is revealed then you also will be revealed with him in glory you also will be revealed with him in glory jesus said that the day would come as a thief in the night it will come as a thief in the night but first thessalonians 5 says we are not maybe i'll close with that let's look at that jesus said matthew 24 right you know that verse i hope the day will come as a thief in the night it will it will come as a thief in the night but we are not in darkness that it should be for us a thief in the night first thessalonians chapter 5 verse 1 now as to the times and the epochs brethren you have no need of anybody anything to be written to you for you yourselves know full well this is paul repeating what jesus said in matthew 24 you yourselves know full well that the day of the lord will come just like a thief in the night in other words as much as you've been looking it will be when you happen to take your glance away from seeing whether the train is coming that the train will come don't let up your guard don't be discouraged don't give up hope the miracle is coming your redemption is near you hear that over and over and over again the train is coming then it will be too late wake up so he says you yourselves know full well that the day of the lord will come just like a thief in the night while they are saying ah peace safety everything's finally kind of calmed down a little bit then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child and they will not escape this will be the sad story of i don't know what the percentage i want to say you know the way to death is broad jesus says 99 i would say and the way to life is narrow and few there be that find it jesus said many are called few are chosen the chance that i will be on that train is very very slim now you could choose to respond in fear it says what kind of a god is that that would only make it so few can can make it but the reality is god is merciful maybe i'll continue if you'll bear with me for a little bit please just the lord laid something on my heart but let's read this while they are saying peace and safety pain will come upon them like a thief in the night um while they're saying pieces then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains but verse four listen to this this is the mercy of god but you brethren are not in darkness this is why god has translated you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his marvelous light that the day would overtake you like a thief for you are all sons of light and sons of day we are not of night not of darkness so then verse six let us not sleep as others do the proof you can say well lord you take me out of the darkness into the light what's the proof of that you should be awake it's 10 o'clock in the morning you shouldn't still be in bed that's what he's saying don't say yeah i used to be asleep now i'm awake now i used to be in the darkness now i'm in the light but if it's the light and you're sleeping then the day of the lord will come upon you also as a thief you see that if he's taken you out of night and into daytime but now you're sleeping in the daytime you're just as bad as the person that was asleep at night that's what he's saying here so then let us not sleep as others do because we're walking in the light it's daytime for us let us be alert and sober for those who sleep do their sleeping at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night but since we are off the day let us be sober and you know the thought i wanted to close with was it says um in romans 2 behold um the kindness of god leads us to repentance and i thought about um the kindness of god you know that jesus said it would be like the days of noah when you think of the when you think of the story of noah what do you think about i'll tell you for most people who are walking in darkness they think about what kind of a cruel god would destroy the whole earth and just leave eight people i tell you as you get to walk god if you really open your heart if you really soften your heart to god you will see his kindness when i think of the flood i think of the ark i think of the mercy of god in making a way of salvation and that's all those people had to do what do you think all the people in the earth would have fit in the flood in the ark it's a hypothetical question i thought about this a few days ago i was like could god have got everybody on the earth i don't know millions of people that could they have fit in the ark so i believe god gave noah a fixed size for the ark knowing that only eight would receive it but if god saw hey there's actually 10 people two people that heard noah's message say yes i have faith this is it thank god for the mercy he's going to judge the world yes it's coming but i don't have to be judged with the rest of the world he's made an ark and if god needed to make the ark bigger he would have now again it's a hypothetical question god knows those who are his i let everyone who names the name of the lord walk in fear i don't remember exactly how that finishes but the lord knows those who are his let's have a reverence for him if we take the name of the lord but there's room in the ark for you that's the mercy of god the blood of jesus christ can cleanse you from all sin and if today there's some sin that you're holding on to that's been unrepentant if you're wondering if there's room in the ark you see the door starting to close you know it says in genesis seven i think that the lord closed the door of the ark i don't know how long it took for the door to close but at that moment when you saw the door closing and you ran in and say really the door is closing this is my last chance i'm gonna run in right now god would say there's room for you i don't know when the door is going to close dear friends dear brothers and sisters i it's very very soon and always been showing me areas in my life i said lord is there something in my baggage that's being left behind is there something that's not set right is there some affection that i have for something on this earth whether it's good or bad oh i want to be ready the door is closing the train's coming i can hear the horn and usually thankfully the train engines engineers would sound the horn probably to make sure nobody's on the track but also to say you people who've been wasting time getting your coffee and chai and snacks and going to the bathroom and all that stuff wake up the train is coming jesus is coming soon and for those of us who are walking in the light and are sober it's a day of rejoicing because we're saying yes lord come you know what the last chapter of revelation says even so come lord jesus come i'm waiting for that train i hope you are amen