Having an eternal perspective

Having an eternal perspective

The title of my talk today is – ‘Having an eternal perspective’. And having an eternal perspective is absolutely crucial if we are going to live effective Christian lives in today’s world.

What do I mean by having an eternal perspective? Well I mean that we need to live each day with an understanding deep in our beings that our life in this world – and the lives of all those around us – are only temporary.

And that one day, when we die or if Jesus returns for us, we’ll all enter eternity.

We’ll leave the physical realm that we currently live in and enter the spiritual realm – the eternal realm, which lasts forever.

Our lives in this world are really just a flash in the pan compared to what awaits us. So, we should always be living with a view of our eternal destinies in the back of our minds.

As Paul says in today’s reading from 2 Corinthians – We should fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Its interesting that in virtually all the accounts I’ve read of people who have had near death experiences or visions of heaven – they have been completely unaware of time passing and when they have come back to life or regained consciousness – they have no idea of how long they’ve been gone.

And I think this is what Peter means when he writes in his second letter – “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” In the eternal realm there is no sense of time passing.

Having an eternal perspective is crucial for our motivation in sharing the gospel.

Firstly, and most importantly we need to understand that every day we have on this earth is an opportunity to help play a part in changing the eternal destinies of those around us.

And if you are a Christian here this morning this is your primary and most important task in life.

God has called us to make a difference to the eternal destinies of those around us – especially our family and friends and work colleagues – those we meet day in and day out.

He has called us to love them and pray for them and do all we can to help them find and then sustain a relationship with him.

And in comparison to this task – although its important to work and earn a living – other tasks are of secondary importance.

Most people are so taken up with this world and the here and now, their problems and their busy lives, that they are oblivious to the eternity that awaits them.

Lots of people don’t even believe in life after death. I always remember a school friend of mine saying to me – ‘when you die, you rot – and that’s it, that’s your lot.’

Well that isn’t it. When we die – our physical bodies will rot but our souls and spirits wont. They will leave the physical realm and enter the eternal realm

And we’ll find ourselves either forgiven and reconciled to God – or cut off from God and awaiting judgement.

I know that its very hard in life to keep an eternal perspective – and its very easy to be constantly distracted by everyday life and the pressures and problems we face.

But as Christians we should care passionately about those around us – and whether they have found a relationship with God.

I feel incredibly lucky to have found a relationship with God – and I’m very grateful to God for saving me - because so easily for me – I feel it could have been a different story.

And I want other people to be lucky too – to have their spiritual eyes opened and to discover that there is a God who loves them and wants the best for them and their families.

To realise that when Jesus died on the cross – he died for them personally. He took their sin and was punished in their place – so that they could walk away completely forgiven and free on Judgement Day – and spend eternity with him.

To be eternally saved by Jesus is the greatest blessing a human being can receive. What could ever be more important than this?

And when we know someone we love is saved – we know they are forever safe in God’s loving arms.

Whatever life may throw at them – their eternal destiny is secure.

Because nothing in creation – neither death nor life – nor angels or demons - nor the present nor the future will be able to separate them or us - from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

So as Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, although in this world we will face light and momentary troubles, they are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

There are many people I know and many I really like, both in my wider family, and people I known through the farm, and work and hobbies - who seem to have very little idea about God and don’t appear concerned.

I want them to at least consider the possibility that there might be a God – but its very hard when their minds seem totally fixed on this world and the here and now.

In my view everyone should do an Alpha course – and at least consider life’s big questions.

Spending one evening a week over a couple of months really isn’t a big ask – especially when Alpha is so enjoyable and the teaching is so clear and well presented - and you can ask all the questions you want.

Of course, as individual Christians we can’t seek to reach out to and pray for absolutely everyone we know – but we can concentrate on just a few individuals and make them a focus of our prayers and outreach.

And we can be ready for any opportunities that come along to share our faith.

I’m disappointed that often when we have our monthly prayer meeting so few people come along. To me this suggests that prayer isn’t a priority for the majority of people in this church.

Really as a church, we should be praying often, asking God to visit this church in power. To come by his spirit and open people’s eyes and touch people’s hearts – to heal people’s lives and to make himself known.

If you struggle to come to the prayer meeting – as Campbell suggested last week - why not arrange your own mini prayer meeting with your spouse or a friend or neighbour and cry out to God to save and bless people who come to services here?

And really we should be praying before every service. We spend ages running around sorting out practical details but then often completely ignore praying for the service.

God responds to prayer – but when we pray very little we receive very little. If you have a heart to see God move and act in this place – then I’d urge you to make prayer – in whichever way suits you - a priority in 2018.

So, as we start this New Year I think as Christians it’s a good time to reflect on our priorities in life. Is our focus primarily on worldly aims and ambitions or is it on God?

Are we working for treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal?

Or are we working for treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.

If you’re a Christian God lives within you by His spirit – and he wants to make himself known through you – through your words and actions.

He wants to work out his purpose for your life. He wants to guide you and inspire you to reach out to those around you in his name.

He wants to help you love and care for those you meet each day – and to see something of his character in you.

He wants to help you be the best you – that you can be.

Do you realise that God is actually a part of you – that you carry his presence wherever you go?

Do you realise that you hear him much better than you think - because he communicates with you through your thoughts and ideas and hopes and dreams.

He puts his own prayers in your heart – because he wants to save your family and loved ones more than you do.

He wants to fill you with his life and love and power – so that you can help to make a difference to the eternal destinies of those around you.

God is good and gentle and patient and kind and he wants the best for you and those you love.

And his ways are the best. What he tells us to do in his word, the bible, is the best for us and for others.

He allows us to stray from his word because he has given us free will – but this is so that over time we can learn from experience - that actually his way is best after all.

And we may be facing all sorts of troubles and difficulties in our lives at the moment – but do you realise God already knows absolutely everything about each obstacle and problem we face – and he will guide and help us to negotiate them – as we lean on him and rely on him and trust him to answer our prayers.

So, to tie up what I want to say - in this New Year let us as Christians realise that eternity awaits us all – and as a response to this seek to put God and others first in our lives.

Although it’s not easy and I regularly fail to do it - let us do our best to imitate God – and show people what he is like - by being kind and gentle and forgiving – and by being generous and not judging other people.

Let us seek to love those we come across regularly in life – who God has deliberately brought across our path – even when they are difficult and annoying and ungrateful.

Let us pray for them and help them and encourage them towards faith.

And let us root all we do in our relationship with God – by spending some time each day with him in prayer and reading his word.

God is our source of strength and power and love and we need to spend time with him in order to be strong. Like batteries we need to charge our spiritual lives up by connecting ourselves each day with our creator.

If you’re a Christian here today God has great plans to work in and through you over this coming year - but will you co-operate with him? Will you use your life to impact the eternal destinies of those around you?

I want to close with a time of quiet prayer - where you can reflect on what I’ve said this morning – and respond in your hearts to God.

So let’s each one of us bow our heads and talk in our hearts to our loving creator.