Purpose Driven Life Day 4

[Hutson Lindner]

DAY 4: Made to Last Forever

ECC3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
• Human nature to not want to die
• Want to live forever though we know in our mind it is not logical
• We avoid thinking of death; it’s morbid
• This propensity to think of immortality is innate in our soul
o Planted there by God
o It is natural and we will have eternal life, IF:

We say this life is “preparation for the next”:
• What does that mean?
• The decisions we make “here” determine eternity
• Do we live with an eternal perspective?

TENT vs. House: (temporary vs. permanent)
2 Corinthians 5
Awaiting the New Body 2 COR 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,

Many choices on earth, in the here and now
• but only two choices for eternity = heaven or hell
• eternal life with God or completely apart
• C.S. Lewis says those who say 1) thy will be done vs. 2) OK, have it your way
• An eternal perspective makes things that used to be important = trivial and unworthy of too much attention
• “closer we live to God, smaller everything else appears”
• priorities set on
o relationships and character vs. fame and wealth, achievements

Phil 3:7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

• Death is not the end of you, it is a transition
o Eternal consequences to all we do on this earth
o Every action we do not strikes some chord in eternity
• We cannot fully imagine what heaven we will be like; cannot comprehend the wonder, greatness
o Glimpses are given in scripture
• Reunited with loved ones who are “believers”
• Released from pain and suffering
• Rewarded for our faithfulness
• Reassigned to do work that we will enjoy
• Unbroken fellowship with God

Matt 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

• God’s purpose for us is not limited to this life time:

Psalms 33:11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
• If you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ,
o You need not fear death
o We can and should be looking towards an eternal future.

Hebrews 13:14: For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

On Not Loving the World
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Ending question posed: what should I stop doing today, what one thing should I start doing?

[Don Gieseke]

This is a great chapter (day), Hut!

When I read through this I immediately thought of an elderly gentleman that Linda and I met on the golf course. We got to know him and "adopted" him into our family. As he continued to age and his health declined we accompanied him on his journey from living alone, to assisted living and finally to an Alzheimer's unit. He is now with his Lord and Savior.

Vince was a man of God. He loved the Lord and it showed. All the time! He knew that his present circumstances were his "tent" and that his "House" would be coming soon! He awaited his end knowing that there was a wonderful future awaiting him. Because of this assurance he was the happiest, most content man I have ever known. He left all his problems to the Lord. All of them. I wish I could be more like this gentle, wonderful man!