It’s sometimes hard to be spiritually minded in this world:
• The spiritual world is an invisible world (2 Cor 4:18).
• The people that surround us are often worldly.
• Our fleshly desires gravitate towards earthly things.
But unless I am spiritually and eternally minded, I am going to waste my life.
David said, “I have set the LORD always before me” (v. 8).
• David (speaking prophetically of Christ), spoke of always keeping God’s perspective and the spiritual before Him. He would never become unfocused as long as he set the LORD before him.
This means that we should never look at this world in isolation from God. We must view everything we do and see from an eternal perspective Setting the LORD Always Before Us.
I. MINDFUL OF A RESURRECTION
A. This spoke directly of Christ’s resurrection. But Christ’s resurrection is a guarantee of the believer’s future resurrection (I Cor 15:22).
B. We get worldly-minded when we focus only on this life.
1. My life beyond this one is as real as this one.
a) Physical existence.
b) Eat and drink.
c) Places to live (mansions in New Jerusalem).
2. My life beyond is far happier than this one:
a) Fulness of joy.
(1) Here I can only have a taste of joy.
(2) Here joy is mingled with sorrow.
(3) It is His presence that brings joy (Heaven boring?)
• Once there were two caterpillars, Spotty and Tuffy, crawling along the same green leaf. Suddenly Spotty began to moan. "What's wrong?" asked Tuffy. "Are you feeling bad?" "Oh, yes," said Spotty, "I am so worried about our next life. I feel it is about time for me to spin my cocoon. I just know that I'm going to hate it." "But why do you think that you will hate it?" said Tuffy. Spotty replied, "I have heard other caterpillars talking and they told me that in the next life we will not get to eat any more green leaves." "Oh, no!" said Tuffy. "That is not all," said Spotty. "We will be forced to walk on only six legs. And we will not be green anymore."
b) Pleasures for evermore.
(1) All pleasures here are temporary.
(2) Things greatly enjoyed usually do not last for too long (holiday).
(3) If they could, they lose their appeal (desert).
(4) British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson once went to South Kensington to visit Norman Lockyer and see the heavens through a very fine telescope. After looking for a long time at the marvels of the night sky, Tennyson turned away from the telescope with the remark, "After seeing that, one does not think so much of the County families."
II. REALISING OUR PORTION IS NOT IN THIS WORLD (17:14)
A. David contrasted himself with unbelievers he called them:
1. men of this world which... this world is their time to prosper, this is all they have.
2. belly filled... it is nice while you have it, but it is empty in a few hours.
3. leave their substance. The best they can do is pass on their wealth; they cannot keep it.
B. As for me (v. 15). He thought differently. Do we?
1. Behold thy face in righteousness.
a) Finally we will have the opportunity to see God’s face. Presently, no man can see me and live.
b) B/c “in righteousness” – finally free from sin.
2. Awake in thy likeness.
a) The corruption of our flesh which distorts the image of God which man was created with, will be restored at the resurrection.
b) Phil 3:21, I John 3:1-2
I set the LORD always before me.
• It’s b/c we do not do this that we get so focussed on living for the here & now.
