"Live With The Endgame In Mind

Cornerstone Church September 9, 2012

“LIVE WITH THE ENDGAME IN MIND”

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

For those of you who play chess or who have mastered games of strategy you know that you must play with the Endgame in Mind.

Understanding the “Endgame” I’m sure shows up in business and sports.

How you want to finish is related to how you begin and what you will do along the way to get to the end.

If the “Endgame” is not known you will either allow your opponent to chase you around as in Chess until checkmate or you will allow circumstances in life to set the agenda for you.

“The Time to Prepare for Tomorrow is Today.”

Keith Krell

The LORD Jesus Christ is coming!

Do you believe that?

If that is your “Endgame” it will show up in how you live today!

It will show up in how you worship and serve the LORD!

“For many of us the return of Jesus often seems theoretical, far off, and quite irrelevant to our daily existence. We think that prophecy is a scheme to be understood by mature Christians – but recent converts (we believe) need other kinds of doctrine. After all, Christ has not returned in the last two thousand years and He might not return before the next two thousand years expired. So, we surmise, let the return of Christ be the last topic to be studied and grasped. Looking for Christ’s return is a wonderful ideal, but practical people have other matters to worry about.

But the Apostle Paul strongly disagreed with the notion that the study of prophecy should be left for the curious-minded folk who are so ‘heavenly minded’ that they lack the practicality to live on earth.”

Erwin Lutzer: The King is Coming: Preparing to Meet Jesus, pg 22

Is the desire to understand the return of Christ just for Prophecy Geeks?

I believe that the references in the scriptures related to the return of Christ were placed there by God to encourage us along the way and give us hope in this world.

We can spend all sorts of time on different views and interpretations and miss the hope that it was meant to give to us!

* It is true that He hasn’t returned in the last 2,000 years.

* It might also be true that He might not return for the next 100 to 1,000 years.

* I do not have that knowledge or date and neither do you!

But I do know that today we are one more day closer to His future return!

“The Time to Prepare for Tomorrow is Today.”

Keith Krell

We need to ponder more about the return of Christ!

We need to think specifically about the day when we as Christians will need to stand before Him to be judged for what we have done in this life for Him.

Rev. 22:12 NIV “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

* Not judged for salvation.

* Our works for Him judged.

Let me make this point very clear:

We are saved by Grace alone, through Faith alone

in Christ alone for God’s Glory alone!

Rom. 8:1-2 ESV There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Verdict: Not Guilty!

Justified in Christ! Christ Imputed (gave) to us His Righteousness

We get so involved and entrenched in this world that we are no longer are living as God’s called out community of believers who are distinct from the world system as citizens of heaven.

Our citizenship is in Heaven but currently our zip code might be California, USA!

Instead of living as Aliens in this world we have begun to live like tourists and natives!

The Context:

The Corinthian Church (Church in Corinth) was facing a similar time as we are today.

The world system from the culture surrounding the church was influencing the church. In many ways they had it worse because they were the minority.

Christians have always been called to swim upstream, against the current, which is forever pushing us backwards.

* This is why we need to be people of prayer!

* Reading His word!

* Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.

Without reliance on God we can easily grow weary like a salmon or trout and give up and let the current drag us back to the ocean!

Paul wanted to give the Corinthian Believers solid food!

It was time! He had labored there for Eighteen Months (Acts 18:1-18)

* Paul Lacked Friends

* Paul Lacked Fruit

* Paul Lacked Funds