The Challenge of Eternity
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Experiencing Eternal Life in the future, means building on an eternal foundation now
Building on Jesus Christ as our foundation is Solid and Eternal
Building on anything else as our foundation is Sandy and Temporary
Enjoying Eternal Rewards in the future, means building with eternal materials now
Building with gold, silver and costly stones
means doing things with Divine wisdom and power
Building with wood, hay or straw
means doing things with Human wisdom and power
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Eternity
Man has been created for an eternity and I believe that God places that knowledge and longing inside each of us.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has “set eternity in the hearts of men.”
And the author of Hebrews tells us that many are “held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:15)
There is a fear of death because many believe that life is only what we experience right now.
Humans long for life and want to avoid death
I believe it is part of our created nature to live.
This is why I believe that even as man has turned away from God, they have sought ways to live longer and even live forever.
Cryonics
There have been people who have had illnesses who, understanding that there is no current cure, who have sought to freeze themselves using cryonics until such a time as man can find a cure for their illness and thus continue living.
Well, I don’t know about you, but there are not too many people that seem to have escaped physical death. I only know of One in history and we celebrate His resurrection and eternal life every week. And on Easter, we are going to talk about why we should believe in and what evidence supports the claim that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
But other than Him, physical death has been reigning since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden. But even though physical death has come into the world through sin, the Bible tells us that humans have still been created in the image of God, and that we have been created to live for an eternity.
The question that is laid out in the Bible is where will you spend that eternity.
According to God’s word, we have 2 and only 2 options.
We spend that eternity with the God of the universe conscious and eternally living or
We spend that eternity separated from God, conscious but eternally dying.
This morning we are going to face the Challenge of Eternity.
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We are going to talk about what the Bible has to say about how we can
experience that life eternally living with the God of all creation
enjoy that life even beyond the incredible gift that has been given us
Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (P.808)
Slide
We are going to look at what Paul says to the Corinthians as He reminds them of the things he taught them concerning how we experience and enjoy eternal life.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Pray
When Paul talks about being saved, in the last verse, he is talking about the eternal life that we will experience.
When he says saved, he means that you will spend that eternity with the Lord.
Those who are not saved spend eternity in hell, apart from the Lord.
It is the same thing Jesus talks about in John 3:16-17
John 3:16-17
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Being saved is being saved from being separated from God for eternity and being able to experience eternal life.
So what does Paul say how we can experience this salvation, this eternal life?
Well, he tells us that
Experiencing Eternal Life in the future,
means building on an Eternal Foundation now
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In verse 11, Paul says he laid a foundation for the Corinthians and that they need to be building on that foundation because ultimately, there really is no other foundation that anybody can build on.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I see all kinds of people in the world building a life apart from Jesus Christ.
What Paul is saying here though is that
Building a life with Jesus Christ as our foundation is Solid and Eternal
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Look at verse 11-12a and 15b
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation
Then he talks about the different things that with which we could build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, but those don’t effect if we receive eternal life or not, only that we build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Verse 15 tells us that even if we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ with bad material, we “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” (v. 3:15b)
So it is the foundation that is essential to experiencing eternal life.
Jesus also told a story about a man building a house where the foundation is essential in Matthew 7:24-27
Right before these verses I am about to read, Jesus says that only those who do the will of the Father which is to believe in Jesus (in John 6:40 Jesus says the Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life) are truly in a relationship with Him. He says that a real relationship is essential or you won’t experience eternal life.
Then He goes on and says
Matthew 7:24-27
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Experiencing eternal life is all about building a life on the foundation of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
That foundation is established when we receive Jesus as our Savior,
believing that He died for our sins and
rose again after 3 days proving He is God in the flesh, the Christ.
If you have never received Jesus as your Savior, you are not building on the solid and eternal foundation of Jesus Christ and you will not experience Eternal life.
John 14:6 tells us that He is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through” Him.
Now when Paul says that no one can lay any foundation other than Jesus Christ, he is not saying that we can’t build our lives on other things.
He is implying here what Jesus states clearly in the story He told that
Building a life with anything else as our foundation is Sandy and Temporary
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Listen to what Jesus continues to say in
Matthew 7:26-27
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice (does not enter into relationship with Him) is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
If you are building on anything other than Jesus Christ, you have no real foundation. You are building on sand and what you are building, the life you are living, will coming crashing down at some point, most likely during your physical life that you are experiencing now, but certainly when we pass from this life into an eternity without hope.
But in this life now, I want to tell you that you are going to experience storms, whether you are a believer in Jesus or not.
Notice in Jesus’ story, both lives experienced the storm.
Being a believer in Jesus does not mean you won’t experience storms in your life.
You will.
Believers in Jesus Christ,
lose their jobs,
experience the hardships of death in their families,
deal with financial crises,
get cancer, etc.
They face all the storms of life that anyone will face. It is not a question of facing the storms. It is a question of surviving the storms of life in this life as well as in the next life.
The only way to survive the storms is to build on a foundation that is solid and eternal and that foundation is Jesus Christ.
When we build on that foundation, you will be able to experience the peace and joy that comes from knowing you have a strong foundation and you will be able to experience eternal life when we face the Day of Judgment.
Now once we have established that we are building on the solid and eternal foundation of Jesus Christ, Paul tells us that we should be careful how we build (v. 3:11) on that foundation.
He tells us to be careful because we find that
Enjoying Eternal Rewards in the future,
means building with eternal materials now
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1 Corinthians 3:12-15
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Wait, are you telling me that people will experience different rewards in heaven?
Yes.
Jesus, himself tells us to store up treasure in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-21
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The things we do here in this life, determine rewards that are received in heaven.
And Paul tells us here that there will be a “Day”, a day of judgment, that will judge how we have lived our lives.
Now there are several judgments that the Bible talks about.
Not everyone faces the same judgment.
Great White Throne Judgment
For those who are not building on a foundation of Jesus Christ, your name is not written in the book of life and you will face the Great White throne Judgment
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
But this is only for those whose names are not in the book of life, who are not building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
For those
whose names are found written in the book of life,
who are building on the foundation of Jesus Christ,
you will face a different judgment.
Judgment Seat of Christ
We will face not the Great White Throne Judgment, but we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Listen to what Paul tells the Corinthians, who are believers in Jesus Christ, in 2 Corinthians 5:10.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
Believers are going to face a judgment for what we have done, but it is not our salvation that hangs in the balance, but the rewards we will enjoy in heaven.
The things we do in this life matter, they just don’t determine if we go to heaven or not.
Transition
So what are the materials that we can build our life with?
Paul lists 6 materials, (gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw).
Obviously, he is talking figuratively about the quality of the things we do, our works that we do in this world and how it will be able to withstand judgment.
Of these 6 building materials he lists, 3 (gold, silver and costly stones) can withstand fire and 3 (wood, hay and straw) burn up in the fire.
The question is what does it mean
to build with gold silver or costly stones compared
to building with wood, hay or straw?
Well, I believe that Paul means that
Building a life with gold, silver or costly stones
means doing things with Divine Wisdom and power
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The things we are doing in this life,
are we doing them in the wisdom and power of the Lord?
Are we seeking what the Lord would have us do, and
are we allowing Him to strengthen us to do it?
Paul tells the Galatians in Galatians 5:25 that “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Since we are building on the foundation of Jesus Christ, let’s use the materials that Jesus Christ makes available to us by His wisdom and power.
Righteous lives, good works, can only be truly done and lived out in the power of Jesus Christ.
Jesus tells us in
John 15:5 - "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
To earn rewards in heaven, we have got to let the Lord work in us and through us.
To do that, requires that we be in God’s word, learning God’s truth.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
To do that, requires that we be praying to God, seeking His wisdom and guidance.
James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
To do that, requires that we be stepping out in faith according to His direction.
John 14:23 – “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.”
That is how we build with gold, silver and costly stones.
When we are acting in accordance with Divine wisdom and power, we are building a life that will withstand the tests that come and store up for ourselves treasures in heaven
I want to build with eternal materials, materials that will last.
On the other hand,
Building a life with wood, hay or straw
means doing things with Human Wisdom and Power
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This is the stuff that will burn up when we are judged.
Are we doing things for our own selfish desires?
Are we not living the way God directs because we think we know better?
Even if we are doing things that appear good, what is our motivation?
Is it for the glory of the Lord, or is it for our own glory.
Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 64:6 that “our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”
“Good things” we do for our own glory or benefit, in our own wisdom and power are wood, hay and straw, they are filthy rags that will be burned up when the things we have done in this life are judged, and if that is what most of our life looks like, we are going to suffer loss, even as we receive eternal life.
Lot – Sodom & Gomorrah
Whenever I read this Scripture, I think of Lot. (Genesis 19)
If we read about Lot in the Old Testament, we really would not see much of anything that was redeeming.
But Peter tells us that Lot was a righteous man.
He was not righteous in himself, but because he had trusted in and believed the Lord.
Now Lot made a lot of poor decisions. He built with wood, hay and straw.
The Lord saved him from a life and death judgment because of “his righteousness” but everything that Lot had, other than his 2 daughters, was burned up. Even his wife “looked back” and turned to salt.
Lot was literally saved as “one escaping through the flames.”
Conclusion
What are you building your life on?
Are you building on the foundation of Jesus Christ, or
something else which is no foundation at all?
If you are not building on the foundation of Jesus Christ, turning from your sin and trusting Him as your Lord, as the Christ, God in the flesh and trusting in what He has done; dying on the cross for your sins and rising again 3 days later, then you are building on a foundation made of sand.
Receive Jesus as your Savior and build your life upon a foundation that is secure and eternal.
We are going to pray in a moment. Take this opportunity to have Jesus Christ as your foundation.
And for those who have Jesus Christ as the foundation of your life,
What are you building your life with?
Are you building with Gold, Silver and costly stones?
Are you using Divine wisdom and following God’s direction through His word?
Are you seizing opportunities to express your love and obedience by
Loving other people
Serving in the church
Doing the hard but better things that he calls us to do like
Loving your spouse
Living with integrity in your financial decisions
Serving others when we could be serving ourselves
Build with gold, silver and costly stones.
Don’t use wood, hay and straw that comes when we follow our selfish desires and ambitions and really only produce weak structure that will cause us loss in the future.
Live to hear the words,
’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21
Let’s pray and ask for God’s wisdom and guidance and if you need to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior so you can begin building on a foundation that is eternal and secure, pray with me now and receive the gift of eternal life.
