“You must be out of your mind.” If you lived in Grand Isle, and chose not to evacuate for Hurricane Lili last week, I bet you would have heard those words. I could somewhat sympathize with the people who stayed behind. They didn’t want to leave their homes or livelihood.
The fact is that sometimes people act in unexpected ways. We could blame it on stress. We could blame it on circumstance, yet, whatever the cause; there are times when people say or do things that just don’t seem proper. It’s as if they are out of their minds.
The apostle Paul admits this is the case with believers in Christ. He gives two solid examples of how Christians just don’t act right, at least in the eyes of the world. Yet, St. Paul doesn’t apologize for this strange behavior. Instead, he urges every Christian to follow his example. That includes you and I. So, take the apostle Paul’s encouragement to heart and LIVE LIKE YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND. 1) Press On Towards the Goal, and 2) Look Forward to the Finish.
1) Press On Towards the Goal
Many people think Christians are out of their minds. After all, they place their hope in a man they’ve never seen – Jesus Christ. And they look forward to a home in a land they’ve never visited – heaven. It would seem we’re living in a fantasy world as if we put our hope in make-believe, a “Never-Never Land” for Christians.
The Apostle Paul had this to say about this place called heaven: “I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” To rephrase it, he’s saying, “I’ve got my eye on the goal. God is calling us onward to Jesus. I am off and running and I’m not turning back. Let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything that God has for us.”
Do you want everything God has in store for you? Do you want the joy, the peace, and significance that only God can provide? Paul says if you want everything that God has for you; focus on this goal, this place called heaven. And don’t worry what others might think or say. Trust in God to provide you with his “Never-Never Land.”
Paul pictures the Christian life as a race and he says heaven is like the ultimate finish line of life. What if I said, “I want you to run a race. I want you to run it well. I want you to do your best to win that race, but I’m not going to tell you where the finish line is.” That would be pretty difficult. Yet that’s the way a lot of us try to run the race of life. We don’t really know where the finish line is. If you don’t know where the finish line is, then you run about this life frantic and frustrated.
How are you running? Maybe you begin each day as a frantic race. You run as hard and as fast as you can because maybe you see your own personal goals as the finish line – getting a good job and career, starting a family, keeping up with the “Joneses” -- these are often our finish lines in life. We think that if we can save enough money for retirement, then the race will be won, or if we just maintain a nicer lifestyle than our friends or neighbors, well, then we’ve got it made.
Some of you may have run your life this way for years, chasing one goal after another, only to find you’re unhappy and unfulfilled. And now maybe you’re just worn out. You think, “I don’t know what I can do next. I don’t know if I can keep this up.” If we continue to chase after the things of this world, we will get tired and frustrated. But we don’t have to. You don’t have to live that way. That’s what the ultimate finish line of life in heaven does for us. It gives us something to look forward to.
We need finish lines. And the hope of heaven is the ultimate finish line. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with setting goals. There’s nothing wrong with having goals about your family, your career, or your school. Just make sure those things don’t become the ultimate goals. The hope of heaven is our ultimate goal. All other goals are under that. Why? Because even if you reach those other goals – and most of us have – you realize it’s not enough. Even my greatest dream it’s not enough. We need a goal that is enough. And only the goal of heaven is enough to motivate us for a lifetime, to give us hope for a lifetime.
The reason for this sense of hope and certainty is because heaven is a sure and certain reality. That’s where some people might disagree with you. “How can you believe in something you’ve never seen?” people ask. How is it that we believe in heaven? After all, none of us have ever seen it. There’s not scientific or logical proof that it exists. We must be out of our minds to believe such a thing! Again, St. Paul gives us the answer to such questions: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” The promised goal of heaven is a reality in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one who has secured your place at the finish line. His perfectly obedient life, his death on the cross, and his glorious resurrection are the undeniable proof that heaven is ours. Jesus has won it for us.
Now, for us to accept such a message requires faith. It requires a trust and a hope that stretches beyond this physical world. Such a faith God has given to us. He has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. He has chosen us and secured our salvation through his Son. There is no scientific proof or logical explanation for such things. The fact that you believe in Jesus as your Savior and have hope in heaven is a mystery of God’s love. Some may think you’re out of your mind for believing such things. So be it! Let the world mock you. Let them call you foolish, childish, or ignorant. As far as we’re concerned, we’ll keep straining forward, stretching ourselves out, extending every ounce of energy and muscle fiber in order to reach the finish line. We will keep our faith in Jesus Christ!
2) Look Forward to the Finish
Those who mock our faith in Christ are, as St. Paul says, “enemies of the cross.” He describes such people: “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame. Their minds are on earthly things.” These enemies could very well be “religious” people. Many people in this world claim to be Christian, but really have no hope in Christ’s work or the promise of heaven. Many churches teach that Jesus is the Savior and heaven is a reality, but none of it can be yours unless you take the responsibility to decide for yourself to believe in Christ, or unless you do something to prove that you really deserve his forgiveness. That is being an enemy of the cross. That type of thinking is “earthly.” Such thinking takes Jesus precious suffering and death and cheapens it, because it tempts us to take our focus off of Jesus and put it on ourselves. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. We don’t deserve a heavenly goal in the least. Yet, God is gracious to us. He has called us heavenward because he loves us, so run with all your might with trust in what God has accomplished.
I remember growing up in a suburban neighborhood south of Chicago. I had neighborhood and we would play at each other’s homes. Nothing could stop or distract us from playing until it was suppertime, however. One by one the distinct voice of mom could be heard as the word “suppertime” wafted on the air. It could be heard from blocks away. And everybody instinctively knew the sound of mom’s voice. And so one by one my friends would run home because they knew what was waiting for them. They believed mom had supper ready. None of us kids stood in the kitchen and watched over mom’s shoulder to make sure she was doing what she said. We simply believed it when she said, “I’m going to make supper now,” and so we went out to play knowing supper would be ready. And we knew we’d have a place at the table. St. Paul says the same thing of heaven. We are to look forward to the finish. Jesus is preparing a heavenly banquet for us, so, as you live your life, look forward to it. Know that there is a place for you at the table.
The apostle describes our place in heaven this way: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” On October 5th, many of us went out and exercised our rights as American citizens. We placed our vote for parish and city leaders. Only American citizens have that right. And the fact we exercised the right to vote is proof of who we are – we are Americans. St. Paul tells us to keep that same thought in mind when we consider heaven. We are citizens there. And we have proof. We have the cross of Jesus Christ. His righteousness makes us citizens of heaven. That’s our property title.
Most of us own property. As a property owner you have a title to the land, but you might not fully, physically own the land yet. You probably still have a mortgage. Yet, the property is considered yours. It’s the same with heaven. We might not fully, physically own it yet, but its ours. Jesus promises it. And one day he will call us to come and claim our place.
In the meantime, we’ll want to live our lives on earth to prepare ourselves for the Savior’s return, as he then will bring us to the glories of heaven. Don’t ever forget your Savior who once came in humility to save us. He is coming again in majesty and glory to take us home. And we will have the proof that we belong in that heavenly city. When our Savior comes again, he’ll transform our lowly, sin-racked bodies to be like his perfect glorious body. All sinfulness – the weakness and consequences of sin – will be purged away forever. Jesus will make it possible for us to be heavenly citizens. The gift of his grace will be evident on our glowing faces.
I know we can’t fully understand or imagine how the Lord will accomplish this task. And the apostle Paul doesn’t try to satisfy our curiosity about these things. He tells us what we need to know when he simply says that Jesus will accomplish this through his almighty power.
So, live like you are out of your mind. Keep straining towards the goal God has promised you in Christ. Don’t put your hope on the things of this world. This is not a place to set down permanent roots. Instead, look above and beyond to a life out of this world. Amen.
