Sermon –Eternal Perspective -August 7, 2005

This rope represents our life. Notice I’m holding the end with a one inch piece of tape around it. The other end goes across the room and out the door. That is to represent the never ending nature of life—we will live forever; either in paradise or hell. So this rope goes out the door where we can never see the end. The first one inch I hold in my hand represents earthly life. This first inch is the 25, 50, or 100 years we will spend on earth; the rest of our life stretches forever. Comparatively speaking, life in the physical body is extremely short.

James 4:14-15
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Are You in Christ?
Listen closely to this next point. How we spend eternity is decided by what happens in this first inch. There are two factors to consider. Whether we spend eternity in heaven or hell is decided based on whether or not we are in Christ. Listen:

1 John 5:11-12
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Matt 25:32-33
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

If you are not in Christ don’t delay, get the remedy today. See me after the service. Jesus’ blood, and Jesus blood alone, will bring us through the narrow gate into paradise.

The Basic Plan
That is the Basic Plan of salvation. Let me read to you some of the benefits that come with this Basic Plan:


Rev 21:4
…no more death or mourning or crying or pain,

Rev 22:4-5
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Rev 14:13
…they will rest from their labor…

And for this same low, low price you also get eternal life and paradise:

Rev 2:7
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Upgrade to Premium Gold
All this comes with the Basic Plan for just knowing Jesus. But what I want to show you today is an amazing one-time-only offer to upgrade from the Basic Entrance Plan to the Premium Gold Plan. What many don’t realize is the Bible teaches there are blessings available beyond the benefits included in the Basic Plan. How do we upgrade? Simple; whatever we do for Jesus in this life will follow us into heaven into our Premium Gold account. You may have thought as I did for many years that everyone is rewarded the same in heaven. So let’s turn to the Word of God so I can show you what we do does in fact follow us. Let’s begin with:

REV 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

Those who have received the sacrifice of Christ will be forgiven every sin committed and even every good deed left undone when we stand before the judgment seat. But every good deed that has been done in Christ’s name and strength will be rewarded and carried forward into paradise. What a perfect situation: all the bad removed, all the good kept and multiplied. Here are a few more verses to support this conclusion:

2CO 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

EPH 6:7-8 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…

1TI 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth…18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

MK 9:41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.

LK 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great.

Just as there are varying degrees of blessing in heaven there are also varying degrees of suffering in hell. Jesus said this to Capernaum:

Matt 11:23-24
23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.

Jesus’ sacrifice is the foundation of our faith. We enter heaven on the foundation of Jesus alone. But if we don’t spend our fleeting days building on that foundation with the gold of eternal virtues, we will arrive in heaven a little singed. Listen:

1 Cor 3:12-15
If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

This knowledge about rewards changes our perspective from earthly to heavenly. It changes how we choose to live. Listen to the following passage from The Message:

1Co 7:29-32 I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple--in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things--your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out. I want you to live as free of complications as possible. MSG

2 Cor 4:17-18
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Exchanging Trials For Gold
This last passage brings us to talk about the best possible way to upgrade into the Gold Plan. It talks about our troubles. Have you ever asked God what you can do for Him? I have. I looked around at where the world needed help and said, “What great thing can I do for You Lord?”

His answer was, “Look right under your nose, Don. Look at the obligations you already have. Look at the temptations in your life. You have not fully made Me Master of the challenges you have, so why would I give you more? Do you want to do more for Me? Then apply more of My strength to what is on your plate and you will bring honor to Me and achieve an eternal reward we can celebrate forever.”

Are you struggling in some area in this life? Is there some hardship, or temptation that won’t let go of you? How you handle it matters. Eternity will be different, based on how you respond. Life is difficult. God allows us to be tested and stretched to the absolute limits. But this test is building a treasure in heaven. This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shine in the face of temptation and trials. We must change our prayers from, “Lord, get me out of this situation,” to, ”Lord, thank You for the chance to honor You. Please strengthen me.”

--Are you pressed into an impossible life situation? Responding with virtue honors Jesus into eternity.

--Are you regularly tempted by the same distraction? Each time you are victorious it brings praise to Jesus that lasts forever.

--Are there troubled relationships in your life? When you secretly return blessing for curses and love for hatred, every eye in heaven celebrates.

How we respond matters—it matters forever.

What Matters?
Some of you went to Frank and Ann’s yesterday to help around their house. You need to know what you did. You did not just help a brother and sister in Christ. You did not merely get a good feeling for a short time that will soon pass. What you did was lay up treasure for yourself in heaven that will bring praise to Jesus forever.

Some say charity is like wetting your pants in a dark suit; you get a warm feeling but hardly anyone notices. I’m so glad that is not true for those in Christ. Every good action or thought matters forever.

Phil 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent (virtue in the KJV) or praiseworthy-think about such things.

What is true, noble, right, pure, and virtuous—these are the things that matter in the next life so they matter in this life too. Will you commit yourself from this day forward to live every precious day with your eye on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, and whatever has virtue? Will you set your eye on eternity?

The Lord said to Daniel:

Dan 12:1-4
But at that time your people-everyone whose name is found written in the book-will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

“Lord, may we shine like stars for You for ever and ever. Amen.”