1. I spent many years planning to “go to heaven and take many people with me.”
a. As a result I have wasted a lot of time in the here and now.
b. We have a “Both/And” Faith – it is BOTH about heaven AND about now.
c. God is the Great “I AM” as well as the “I WAS” and the “I WILL BE”, all contained in the YHVH.
2. John 10:10
3. Too often I/We focus on what will be to the exclusion of what is.
a. Heaven is great – we WILL enjoy it
b. BUT, what if you are hungry NOW? Without Peace – NOW? Without direction for your life NOW?
4. Jesus offers us something for now as well as for the future.
I. We Have a Blessed Assurance – Revelation 2:10
A. Faithfulness, NOT Sinless Perfection Brings Eternal Life with God
1. Stop worrying about it and enjoy your relationship with God
2. Jesus won’t take it back
3. Just be faithful to your calling
B. God Keeps His Promises
1. Two brothers were getting ready to boil some eggs. "I’ll give you a dollar if you let me break three of these on your head," said the older one. "Promise?" asked the younger. "Promise!"
Gleefully, the older boy broke two eggs over his brother’s head.
Standing stiff for fear the gooey mess would get all over him, the little boy asked, "When is the third egg coming?" "It’s not," replied the brother. "That would cost me a dollar."
2. God’s not tricking us or making it hard on us – His promises are real.
II. We Remember Who Bears the Heavy Load
A. I Have Discovered: We Can’t Get EVERYTHING Right EVERY Time
1. Just BE FAITHFUL -- Love God/Neighbor (Luke 10:27)
2. OT built in solutions to shortcomings – sin offerings for unintentional sin
3. Even Repentance for intentional sin – Hebrews 10:26
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Psalm 51.1
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
B. Don’t Shift the Load
1. Trying to Put Perfection on Us – Doesn’t work
2. God Carries the Load – John 1:29; 1 John 2:2 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
3. Jesus Offers us the Light Load – Matthew 11:28-30
C. My/Our Tendency – Work to Attain or Maintain Our Salvation
1. Sometimes to Appease the wrath of God by doing what is “required,” nothing more – as singing without emotion; LS without remembering; baptism without a changed heart and life
2. Sometimes work to earn salvation and approval
3. God’s response? Romans 4:2-5 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
D. What is the Place of Good Works?
1. Not to earn salvation – Ephesians 2:8-10
2. [Shorashim Gift Shop – Legalism vs. Doing the most for our beloved
3. Good Works are a blessing for people (i.e., Neighbors) – Matthew 25:37-40
4. Good Works Bless God – make HIM smile!
[My dad was a rough, tough sailor. It took a lot to bring emotions out in him. I saw him cry exactly ONCE, at his mother’s funeral. He rarely laughed or smiled. When we moved to GTMO Bay, Cuba he was giving me $2/week in an allowance. For the most part, I had little to buy with that money because so much was free or cheap there (a round of golf cost me $50). So, I saved my money. We arrived in July and my dad’s birthday was in April. With most of my accumulated allowance I bought my dad two birthday gifts – a new fishing net and a package of golf balls. I remember it was one of the few times I had made him smile with pride. His son had sacrificed for him. How much more does our heavenly Father smile when we serve out of love, not compulsion?
1. What Does God require/desire in our faithfulness? Love Him and Neighbor
2. Think of Love as ACTION more than FEELING – Matthew 25:31-46
3. 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
4. Look and see where God is working in our world and join him – don’t “wish your life away” by only focusing on the World to Come.
