Forward to Eternity
Purpose Driven Life #4
August 23, 2003
The new cars and trucks are coming out. This is the time of year when the models for the next year are being rolled out, and this is the time of year that people who purchased or leased a new vehicle this year begin to feel unhappy with that vehicle. It doesn’t look the same as the new ones, or is lacking some of the features of the new ones, or isn’t in the most up-to-date colour that is available in the new ones. For some people, their lovely newer vehicle has become, essentially, obsolete because something newer is available. Of course, as they go forward another year or two with the ‘older’ vehicle, it starts to break down and repair and replacement of some of the major systems are necessary as the vehicle does break down. Eventually, that lovely new vehicle will end up in the scrap yard, because it was never made to last forever- it had a certain built-in obsolescence.
Think about all you use that has a very temporary life. In our homes, we have disposable razors, disposable pens, creams and gel and shaving lotion in disposable containers, styrofoam cups and paper plates, and the list goes on. We are used to thinking in terms of using something for only a short time, and then it becomes obsolete.
People think of themselves in the same way, oftentimes. We all know that we’re only here for a limited amount of time and, unless you have some idea of something beyond, this seems like all there is. If this is all there is, then we, like the paper plate, become something disposable and something soon to become obsolete. This feeling shows up, often, in the lives of teens, sadly. They, these days, are much caught up in the cycle of divorce that wracks so many homes, and lack of love from parents, which is much too common. They feel disposable, as they get shunted from one parental home to another, and as they feel so powerless in the processes of their lives. This leads to some of the early sexual experimentation, drug usage, alcohol use at young age, and smoking. Many young feel that life is short and they are only being used up in their lives, so they might as well use life in ways that helps them feel good, even for a short time. They feel like they are disposable.
However, this life is not all there is. There is a great eternity that you have been formed for. People, actually, intuitively, know this. Why do people want to go on living? Why do we have an incredible quest to extend our lives? We know that, in our lifetimes, the average expected life has been extended by several years because of medical research and care. Why is there such a field as ‘cryonics’ and why have some taken advantage of what it offers (read)? There is a great desire for self-preservation that is built into us.
Eccl. 3.11- God has planted eternity in our hearts. We have been made in God’s image, remember? And one of the ways we are ‘in his image’ is in the fact that we are meant to live forever.
However, this is not the place where we are to live forever, and this is what too many miss as they try to live on, in this flesh. The days of Methuselah, who lived 969 years, are behind us, and, if you read Genesis, you’ll recognize that life spans shortened rather dramatically after the Flood. So, now, we’re down to an average male life span of 74 and 79 for a woman, which is, as we know, more than the case just a few years ago.
The apostle Paul understood something very important, that he records in his letter to the Corinthian church.
2 Cor. 5.2- he speaks of two bodies (Living Bible), of tents and houses (KJV). The Bible calls our bodies ‘tents’- they’re temporary. We might go camping and use a tent, but we don’t to use it permanently, as where we live. Some civilizations use tents because they are nomadic. Tent never implies permanence, and we’re meant to understand this. We ARE impermanent, here. But that does not mean that we’re impermanent everywhere. We have a house to come. We enjoy living in a house- a house offers a sense of permanence, even here. When we moved here and purchased our house, several of you expressed your delight in that, in that it said that we were planning to stay awhile. Someone asked me if I’d purchase my burial plot here- I haven’t done that, yet.
Life, here, offers many choices, but eternity offers us two, as far as where we want to be forever. The ‘forever’ is not in question. That’s part of God’s plan for all. And He wants us all to be in His heavenly kingdom, but we can choose, also, hell/lake of fire. Our relationship to God will determine where we are and since we’ve been given the choice now, what we do with that now is what matters for all eternity! C.S. Lewis, on of this century’s greatest Christian authors, said, “There are tow kinds of people: those who say to God ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right then, have it your way.’” It is God’s wish that no one would have to spend eternity without Him, but some will.
Knowing this choice, and knowing that we are meant to live forever will have an impact on our lives now. When we understand this reality, it will impact us. If we don’t understand, then we’ll live merrily on as if there were no tomorrow. The key is for each of us to live with eternity in our heart and to live with eternity before our eyes and in our minds all day, each day. Your life, you see, matters forever!
When we understand that there is more to life than just here and now, and when we realize that life is just preparation for eternity, we will begin to live differently. We will start living in light of eternity, and that will colour how we handle every relationship, job, opportunity, and circumstance that comes our way. Some things that seem important will be revealed for the trivial that they are, and this is right and very good. When we live with eternity before us, our values change, and we begin to use our time and money more wisely and we place a higher premium on relationships and character than we do on fame or wealth or achievements or, even, fun. They have their place, but that should not be the central place. Our priorities will be reordered, and we’ll not be geared to keeping up with trends and fashions and popular values.
Paul had a dramatic change in values once he got this straight.
Phil. 3.7- he threw away some things he thought important in the past.
IF this life is all there is, then you should leave here right now and get on with living it up. You have food to eat, booze to drink, fun to have, credit cards to run up to limits as you purchase everything you can.
IF this life is not all there is, then you’ll live differently as you realize that there are eternal consequences to everything you do on earth. Every act of our lives will make some difference for eternity. You’ll be thinking more long-term, rather than as short-term as so many live right now. We see this dramatically in Quebec. When you’ve only lived here, you might not, but when you move here, it’s dramatic. The focus on fashion and on doing now- on partying and smoking- are incredible. The ‘live it up now’ focus is stronger here than in any other province of our country- at least that I’ve lived in. Quebec needs a focus on eternity. Quebec needs to look beyond to what is real. What we see is such a very small part of what is, yet, with short-term vision, we can focus as if this is all there is.
1 Cor. 2.9- God has so much more in mind for us than we can see right now.
He gives us a picture of eternity, though.
Rev. 21
Matt. 25.34- this is what we are looking forward to, I know.
Living with eternity in our hearts will have an impact on how we live.
(Discuss the outline of Ephesians- chapters 1-3 compared with chapters 4-6- that give very practical ways in which life changes when we understand Christ and eternity. There’s a lot said about words and I heard a great message on Christian radio in DC when I was there that focused on Prov. 10.19. This speaks about words and that we’re not meant to say whatever comes into our minds. That’s foolish. Every time we disagree, we’re not meant to voice it. Every time we have a thought, it’s not supposed to come out on parade.)
Again, C.S. Lewis, who wrote the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’- an allegorical seven-book children’s fiction series- as he concluded the books: “For us this is the end of all the stories…But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world…had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which on one on earth has read, which goes on forever and in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
This is where we will be as we come to what is revealed in Revelation 21. That’s when the story really begins. God has a purpose for our lives on earth, but it doesn’t end here. His plan involves far more than the few decades we will spend on this earth. It’s an incredible purpose.
Ps. 33.11-
As we go out today, we need to be thinking about eternity. We need to think about eternity a lot. This is not a morbid subject. This is what we’re meant to be doing in our lives-keeping our eyes on the reality- the REALITY- that lies ahead.
Eccl. 7.2- we’re meant to think about the end of this life and the beginning of the next.
Heb. 13.14- as we might plan for a house here, we need to be looking toward our real house in eternity.
2 Cor. 5.6- Paul realized that every day here was a day away from the full presence of God. Do we live with this reality in our lives? It’s one that people tend to push away, and we’re people and we might well do the same thing.
For nine months, we were prepared for this life, in our mother’s womb. For longer than nine months- for several decades, we’re prepared for full life through our time here and involved with God. We need to live each day as if it were our last, but plan as if we have a century remaining. It is the business of each day to prepare for our final day and the eternity that comes beyond!
