Time Versus Eternity

TIME VS. ETERNITY

COL. 3:1-2

I. INTRODUCTION

AS PILGRIMS ON A JOURNEY, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME. NO, ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS MERELY A TEMPORARY DWELLING PLACE UNTIL WE REACH ETERNITY. THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH THIS BARREN LAND, IT IS PIVOTAL THAT WE PRIORITIZE OUR LIVES, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE INSTEAD OF THE PRESENT. THERE ARE MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE LIFE JUST FOR THE NOW, BUT I MUST REMIND US THAT THE NOW WILL NOT ALWAYS BE. ONE DAY THE NOW WILL BE NO MORE. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO PLACE THEIR EMPHASIS ON THE TANGIBLE THINGS THAT THEY CAN PUT THEIR HANDS ON. BUT MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS ON, WILL PASS AWAY. TIME IS NOT MAN’S FRIEND. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HEARD SOMEONE OR OURSELVES SAY, “IF ONLY I HAD A LITTLE MORE TIME?” YES, MY BROTHERS AND SISTER, THE HERE AND NOW WILL ONE DAY BE GONE WITH THE WIND.

II. THE TEXT

AS WE OBSERVE THE TEXTS, WE ARE EXPOSED TO A CONCEPT, WHICH MUST BECOME A PATTERN OF LIFE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB. PAUL WOULD HAVE US TO KNOW THAT OUR FOCUS AND ATTITUDE IS NOT OF THIS WORLD BUT OF THE WORLD TO COME. IT REALLY MEANS THAT ONE'S INTERESTS ARE CENTERED IN CHRIST, THAT ONE'S ATTITUDES, AMBITIONS, AND WHOLE OUTLOOK ON LIFE ARE MOLDED BY CHRIST'S RELATION TO THE BELIEVER, AND THAT ONE'S ALLEGIANCE TO HIM TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER ALL EARTHLY ALLEGIANCES. SINCE WE ARE IN CHRIST, WE SHOULD STRIVE TO HAVE A MIND LIKE HIM. PHILIPPIANS 2:5 TEACHES, “LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS.”

WE SHOULD BE SEEKING THOSE THINGS THAT CHRIST WOULD SEEK; LOVE, FORGIVENESS, GENTLENESS, MEEKNESS, UNDERSTANDING, LONGSUFFERING, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AS OPPOSED TO THE THINGS OF THE EARTH SUCH AS, WORLDLY HONOR, UNGODLY PLEASURES, THE LOVE OF MONEY, AND THINGS THAT DO NOT PROFIT OUR SPIRITUAL NATURE. MATTHEW HENRY SAYS, “TO SEEK HEAVENLY THINGS IS TO SET OUR AFFECTIONS UPON THEM, TO LOVE THEM AND LET OUR DESIRES BE TOWARDS THEM. UPON THE WINGS OF AFFECTION THE HEART SOARS UPWARDS, AND IS CARRIED FORTH TOWARDS SPIRITUAL AND DIVINE OBJECTS.”

IT’S PERFECTLY FINE TO DESIRE NICE THINGS AS LONG AS THOSE NICE THINGS DO NOT MAKE US LOSE SIGHT OF WHO WE ARE, AND WHOSE WE ARE. YOU SEE, MY LINCOLN IS NOT MY LORD, YOUR CADILLAC SHOULD NOT BE YOUR CHRIST, NOR SHOULD YOUR HOME BE YOUR HEAVEN, YOUR MONEY YOUR MASTER, YOUR OCCUPATION YOUR EVERYTHING, AND YOUR MATE YOUR MESSIAH. IT’S ALL RIGHT TO HAVE THINGS BUT THINGS CAN LET YOU DOWN (CAR WON’T START). YOU CAN HAVE THINGS ONE DAY AND NOTHING THE NEXT (HURRICANE).

BEING A CHILD OF GOD DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE CANNOT ENJOY LIFE. ON THE CONTRARY, JESUS SAID IN JOHN 10:10, “ I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY.” WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF JESUS THAT WE ARE IN THE WORLD, BUT THE WORLD IS NOT IN US. WHICH REALLY MEANS, ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT HAVE SOME NICE THINGS, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WHATEVER WE HAVE, GOD ALLOWED US TO HAVE. MY LIFE IS NOT CENTERED AROUND STUFF, BUT ON JESUS BECAUSE STUFF AINT NOTHING BUT STUFF.

III. CONCLUSION

AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, WE ARE MOVING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO ETERNITY. HAVING THEREFORE MADE THAT STATEMENT, I WANT TO GIVE US THREE POSITIVE POINTS THAT WILL PROFIT OUR PILGRIMAGE AS WE PRESS OUR WAY ON THIS PLANET. ONE, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE PARTNERS WITH JESUS, NOT EQUAL, BUT PARTNERS JUST THE SAME, AND HIS AGENDA SHOULD BE OUR AGENDA. IF SOMETHING BOTHERS JESUS IT SHOULD BOTHER US. WHAT MAKES JESUS HAPPY SHOULD ALSO MAKE US HAPPY. TWO, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE A PECULIAR PEOPLE, WHICH MEANS ALTHOUGH THE WORLD MAY SEE US AT WORLDLY EVENTS, THEY DO NOT SEE US ACTING LIKE THE WORLD. PEOPLE OUGHT TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE LIVE AND NOTICE THAT SOMETHING IS PECULIAR ABOUT US, AND PECULIAR IS NOT A NEGATIVE WORD WHEN APPLIED IN THE CORRECT CONTEXT. THREE, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD THAT SINNERS CAN HAVE BUT DON’T HAVE. BEING A CHILD OF THE KING HAS ITS BENEFITS.