Forever

Introduction: We are created to live forever but we live in a world that is constrained and confined. This series seeks to help us to look beyond this world to eternity and its current implications for our lives today.

We each have things in us, “tells”, that tell us that we are made for forever. Some of these include:

1) Desires – The fact that we are always desiring “something else” points to the fact that this world will never fully satisfy us. For example: You look into your closet and say “I don’t have anything to wear.” Or we envy what others have. Or culture promises fulfillment in sexual experiences but then leaves you unfulfilled.

2) Dreams – Reality often does not measure up to our expectations. We often are imagining a world better than we have. We long for something more. Why is that?

3) Pain & Suffering – Why do we seek to find meaning and value in our suffering? Why are we bothered by death?

Why is it that we have these longings?

C.S. Lewis quote: “If I find in myself a desire, which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I am made for another world.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 God is doing a work but we only get a sense of part of that eternal work. He has placed eternity in our hearts but we cannot fully experience it in this world. So we often forget about it.

Eternity Amnesia – (adopted from Paul David Tripp’s book Forever) There is a bigger story that makes our story make sense but we often don’t remember this in our day to day lives.

Romans 8:18-23

We suffer now but the future has glory that far outweighs our suffering. There is a misproportionate amount of glory compared to suffering. God created everything good but everything has been corrupted by sin. Now even creation longs to be restored. We are going to be redeemed and so is creation. But we now live in a world that counters the eternity within our hearts. God has placed the Holy Spirit within the hearts of believers, which acts like a deposit until we reach our eternal destiny.

The redemption story starts with creation but will end in restoration. It is a story bigger than just you but of the restoring of all things. We can’t even really have thoughts of eternity without God implanting that within us. He has placed it in our hearts.

We have made the world we live in our destination instead of viewing it as it is; a place for preparation for our destination.

2 Corinthians 5:1-10 The life we live now is like camping compared to eternity. It is only temporary. True life swallows up day and brings something more wonderful. This world is nothing compared to eternity.

For the non-Christian: We agree that this world is broken and coming apart. You are created to be the pinnacle of it but you are broken and part of the problem. We need to be redeemed by trusting in Jesus who came to restore and will restore all things.

For the believer: We have no credibility in this world because we often live with Eternity Amnesia. Some evidences that you have Eternity Amnesia:

1) You have unrealistic expectations and are generally disappointed with people. (no person in this world can meet your expectations)

2) You focus too much on yourself.

3) You become controlling and fearful

4) You question the goodness of God.

5) You lack motivation and hope.

6) You live as if there are no consequences.