Eternal Perspective

This morning I decided to try out another Kyle Idleman sermon and see if I liked it as much as I liked the one I listened to yesterday.  I randomly picked one off his website...it was the last one in a series on death.  Sounds morbid, I know.  I almost picked a different one.  But my perspective has changed now!  Here's some notes from my notes.

We tend to arrange our lives around trying to avoid and suppress the most irrefutable fact of life: death.  We don't like to talk about death.  It seems so final.  And really, I should be putting "I" instead of "we", because I've done all of the above.  However, instead of trying to not even think about death, we should be preparing for it.  Really, the reason for everything that happens in this life is preparation for the next life.  Our life is like a mist.  In the grand scheme of things, we're just a little grain of sand on the shores.  We I tend to get caught up in the moment, in the now, and forget about the goal.  Really, we I forget about what really matters.  Here's a question to use your thinker on:

Am I living with the end in mind?

The best way to know if I'm living with the end in mind would be to do a little examination.  Where does my time go?  My energy, resources, my passion?  Where is my focus?

2 Timothy 4:6-8 says:

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

In the Old Testament, a drink offering was the least impressive, most humbling of offerings.  Paul is saying that even though he might not be the most impressive of offerings, he is pouring all of himself on the alter, a living sacrifice.  And here's the statement that slapped me in the face.  We are all pouring ourselves onto some kind of alter, we are all giving ourselves to something.  So the question isn't whether or not we are pouring our lives out, it's what or who are we pouring our lives out to? 

Right there.  Talk about conviction.  And then, to really drive this point home, Mr. Idleman brought up funerals.  He told the audience to close their eyes, and imagine this: imagine you have died and the pastor who is going to do your funeral is talking to three or four of your closest friends and family members.  He asks them, "What was she/he passionate about?  We did she/he love?  What's one thing you remember about her/him?"  Try and imagine what each person would say.  What do you want to be remembered for, what will people say about you when you're gone?  Will it be how much you loved sports?  The hobbies you enjoyed?  Your sense of humor?  None of these things are bad, but what do you want to be known by?  I told you this was convicting!  :P

Back to 2 Timothy 4:6-8.  Paul says "The time has come for my departure".  That word "departure" means "set sail."  I absolutely LOVED that meaning.  Paul uses a word that is synonomous with "beginning!"  He doesn't use an "ending" word.  Pretty cool, huh?!?!  Paul considers death as a departure, a new beginning in a new place.  He's not dreading death, he's anticipating setting sail to a new adventure in a better place.  Morbid?!?  I think not.  :D

Philippians 1:21-24  "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ,which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."

Basically, Paul is saying, "If it were up to me, I'd set sail now, but I'm glad to be on earth serving." Pretty neat perspective!

So, what does it mean to live with the end in mind?  It means living with a ever-increasing desire to be in our heavenly home.  It's so easy to  get consummed with the now.  I know that I tend to give all my time and energy to the mist, and my focus gets stuck on earthly things.  But those things aren't eternal, and they don't last.  

2 Corinthians 4:16-18:  "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 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, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Ok, we can all agree that Paul went through some rough stuff.  Beatings?  Imprisonment? Stoning?  Yet he calls it "light and momentary troubles" in view of the eternal reward.  Mr. Idleman quoted Peter Kreeft: "In light of heaven, to fear the worst earthly loss would be like a millionaire fearing the loss of a penny--less, a scratch on a penny."  Mind boggling, no?  Stressing out about life here is like a millionaire freaking out over a scratched penny.  

Mr. Idleman gave an awesome illustration that I'm not gonna do justice to, but I'll try.  This is like two guys who are paid to do the same job for a year.  They have to stand outside and hold a sign for a new business, 40 hours a week, no matter what weather, and will be paid in a lump sum at the end of the year.  One of the guys will be paid 18 thousand, and the other, 18 million.  Will you be able to tell who is who?  Oh yeah!  The one guy is gonna be bored, frusterated, maybe feeling bitter, and ready to quit.  Why?  Because of what he believes is going to happen at the end.  The other guy?  He's singing, break dancing, throwing that sign up in the air, doing the moonwalk.  Why?  Because of what he believes is going to happen at the end.  Same life situation, same circumstances, different responses.  Why?  Because what they believe will happen at the end changes how they respond going through it.  If we really, truly believe we are going to heaven, it changes the way we hold the sign.  It's never too late to change, but change needs to start now.  It really comes down to what we really, really, really believe.  Do we really believe this stuff?  If we do, it will show.  Our lives will reflect it.  Our life will be aligned with those heartfelt beliefs.  This is about living intentionally.  Am I serving people or living for myself?  Am I storing up treasures in heaven?  Do I forgive people who don't deserve it, or do I harbor bitterness?  Am I praying for people who don't know Jesus, and sharing His love and grace with them?  If I truly believe in hell, I will be.  Is my life marked by joy, hope, and peace?  If I truly believe in heaven, it will be.  Do people see that joy, hope, and peace in how I handle struggles and challenges?  

So, my challenge to myself: am I living with the end in mind, an eternal perspective, living intentionally?  Thinking about that should change how I live every day.  Today, it was a little thing, giving a tract to the lady at the gas station.  Praying for a person who caught my eye at the stoplight.  Baby steps for me, it's a big journey, but I'm purposing to live more intentionally.  After all, it just plain makes sense to invest in the eternal, 'cause it's the only thing that lasts.