* I just wanted to start out with one of my favorite songs. It is so powerful if you truly sit back and take in its meaning. I do want to point out a quote that was said by Joel Houston at the 1:11 mark ” I don’t know what will happen if we allow God to truly invade our lives, invade our hearts, invade this place the way I really know he wants to.” Wow. So before you start reading and watching the rest of the content of this message, really soak that in and try to put yourself humbled before the throne realizing the hugeness of what God can and wants to do through his creations and followers. We are FREE!
What do I say? I have been struggling so much on what to say in this message. I actually came up with one that took over 4 hours to do, then my computer shut off and erased it. Maybe that message can wait =) First, let me point out how sorry I am for all the delays. I am going to start putting out scriptural messages 3 times a week and hopefully life updates about 2 times a week. I will also have much more info on the findtheupperroom.com site concerning college ministry findings very soon. Today, I truly truly truly feel led to challenge us on living for eternity while here on earth. Not only for ourselves but separating ourselves as believers and living to see EVERYONE in heaven.
How does it look for us to suffer and to live for eternity? While we should not look for suffering, we should not avoid it. Now, for most of us, our idea of living for our eternity instead of living for this earth might not involve suffering or sacrifice. Now, I don’t want to spend my entire time on suffering (see findtheupperroom.com for message on suffering). I want to start with a question: what is our definition of home? When we wake up in the morning, do we question whether we belong or is this home? I don’t mean to be to in your face but I am the same way. I wake up and it feels right. I wake up to see my comfort and my life and my home. Yet, this earth is a footstool to God (Acts 7:49) and our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). We are SO wrong in the way we live our lives. Why don’t we live to our mission and love with no boundaries. We choose instead to avoid suffering, avoid loving fully, and avoid looking ahead but use all of our minds on preparing and bettering our temporary lives on earth.
Philippians 3:12-21
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, 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.
Verses 12-17 really challenge me to think about what we are really living for. Paul tells us to forget the past, forget what is, and look towards the prize. Why don’t we focus on our future (in Heaven)? We focus on earthly things. We look back. Like Lot’s wife…she turned out well…haha…but seriously. We focus on earthly things, what does scripture say on that.. let’s look at verse 18-19 .. it says that those who focus on earthly things, their destiny is destruction. Luke 9:62 , Jesus claims ” No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
How does this look for us today? Pretend that I have a rope, and it continues forever. It is a timeline for our existence (Francis Chan analogy, just for reference sake). Now the tip has been dipped in red paint. That represents our time on earth and the REST of the rope is our eternity. Yet we focus SO much on school. How are we going to do the best we can in academics to better our life on this earth. We focus SO much on money. We HAVE to save money for retirement, save money for our kids to go to college, for that trip next summer. We focus SO much on friends and family. We spend so much thought process and time thinking about what our friends and family think of us. We try to impress them and put them before anything and prove ourselves to them. We focus SO much on work. We have to work hard to get ahead in the world. To climb up the corporate ladder. We focus SO much on culture. We have to fit in. Yet, all these things we focus on are just the tip of the rope, the tip of our life. We are spitting in the face of God. We are called to focus on the prize, for our own lives but we are called to the mission of sharing Christ’s love with others above all else. Because if we don’t, we miss opportunities to share Christ with people bound for hell. THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON.
It takes an atheist to tell us the most convicting truth of all. If we honestly believe in the life of Christ and that He saves us, and that He is the only way to heaven. If we believe in a heaven and a hell and those who don’t believe in Jesus will not go to heaven but suffer through eternal suffering then how much must we truly hate someone not to tell them about the love of Jesus that can save them. Wow. An atheist said that. How crazy. And that is what the church and christians are supposed to do to separate ourselves from everyone else. Nonchristians love. Oprah, Brad Pitt, ect, they all give. We are called to love our enemies. And to do it fully with no limits. That is the radical lifestyle we are called to in order to stand out. I honestly can say that I love people. Yet, this video punches me right in the face. I am terrified to share the love of Jesus with EVERYONE I meet. Yet, not only should I be excited to even have that opportunity, I should do it out of love knowing that the person walking by me in starbucks eternity is at stake.
So basically, if the Lord truly is our shephard and we shall not want. Stop wanting. Stop focusing on the things of this earth and focus on the prize of your eternity in heaven as well as the eternity of others. Love with no restrictions. Do not be afraid of sufferings. Share Christ with people because we do not hate them but in fact we love not only our peers but our enemies as well. I know my thoughts sometimes bounce around but I really just want you guys to understand that this earth is but a speck of red paint. Our friends, family, money, jobs, school, sports, culture, media, everything is just a speck on our timeline, on our existence. Please realize this. Focus on the mission and the great commission. Be fishers of men and studiers of the word. Truly love God and love people. Amen. Take care and God bless.
