How Eternity Brings Focus to What Really Matters - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God don't want to hear from you. Would you consider emailing me you can reach me at greg@harvest.org again that's greg@harvest.org and you can also make me one of your friends on Facebook and drop me a comment. I think that those that think the most about the nuns life to the most in this one is a war without heaven and earth are. It turns out those were heavenly minded are the most earthly good pastor Greg Maurice's looking.

Listen to your belief in the afterlife has everything to do with how you live a double for life so you must be on earth, but our minds should be in heaven and side view mirror the safest way to drive is obviously looking on the windshield. It's best to look ahead was coming today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie says we should take the same approach to life. We should look ahead to see what's coming today will do just that. As we look at eternal life helpless properly focus on how to live this life is about heaven will be answered, look ahead. I read… The article in the paper. This was the about some predictions made by scientists Isaac Asimov and that he wrote an article in 1964 I had to read as predictions that are 50 years old, so 50 years ago, scientists Isaac Asimov predicted quote there would be electroluminescent panels that would be in common use while I think you got that one right. We have all the retail displays and signs in the course. Flat-panel TVs are everywhere now, so I think that was a pretty accurate prediction number two communication, says Asimov will be sight and sound.

You will see as well as hear the person you telephone call. That's clearly true with Skype and Google hangouts.

Then FaceTime in all the other resources that are out there. Video chatting is become quite common. Thirdly, he said. The screen will be used not only to see the people you call, but the study documents and photographs and read passages from books that Sue was accurate. We have computers we have tablet devices, even smart phones now and so these were some pretty amazing predictions, but there were other predictions he made that didn't quite come true because I read the things I thought I would read all the predictions he made.

So I found the actual document that he wrote this article and I shared some predictions made that didn't quite happen. Jets of compressed air will live land vehicles off the highways, bridges will be of less importance. Since cars will be capable of crossing water on their Jets.

Oh, I wish that were true.

Have you ever been stuck in traffic, it just would say he is going right over the top of everyone, so that clearly didn't happen. Maybe Isaac was watching too many episodes of the Jackson, which was out of the time you made this prediction by the way also. Asimov envisioned kitchens that would produce auto meals so you would even have to make your breakfast, your kitchen would he want to make coffee toast bread.

Scramble your eggs in your bacon, and he also predicted that robots would be doing our yard work. Well, I don't know about you but I don't have a robot doing my yard work over they have these little robotic vacuum cleaners abusing these eight and a scooter around the floor so that that's fairly close and so you know he was a fascinating guy Asimov. He was brilliant. He wrote hundreds of books he wrote science fiction books as well, and he also was very wrong on one subject that he thought he knew about them. It was a topic of heaven because he was an atheist. Isaac Asimov said of heaven quote I don't believe in an afterlife, so I don't have to spend my whole life. You know are fearing heaven even more for whatever the tortures of hell. I think the boredom of heaven would be even worse."

He could not be more wrong. Reminds me Soviet jury. Calgary was the first man in outer space, and he was quoted to say I saw the earth and it was beautiful but being a good communist.

He's also said I looked and I did not see God.

Oh, insightful if Yuri would've taken off his helmet for three seconds, he would've seen God it. Isaac Asimov is now entered eternity. I hope he put his faith in Christ. The last moments of his life that he could see how glorious heaven is the last thing heaven. This is a place of boredom.

In fact, heaven is a place of bliss where it is set around is that caricatured version suggests on big billowy clouds strumming hearts and taking long naps, but are probably appeals to some people but actually according to Scripture. Heaven is a real place for real people who do real thing. The Bible is very clear, and pointed out heaven is a city.

Heaven is a country. Heaven is a garden. Heaven is a paradise heaven is a place that's where we will be reunited with loved ones were proceeded us. Heaven is a place of activity in building and eating and worshiping and much more in the Bible teaches that one day heaven will come to work so only say I'm in the diet is a Christian one day and go to heaven and live there forever. That's not completely accurate because one day heaven and earth will become one and so we think a lot about the afterlife and so we should or maybe we don't think enough about it and I think we need to give a lot of thought to what's going to happen later and it will affect this in the life were living now listen your belief in the afterlife has everything to do with how you live in double for life because you might say what is a matter what happens in heaven. That's a long ways away when you don't know that you want to think deeply about this now. I am a student of heaven.

I'm certainly not an expert on the topic, but I'm a student heaven and I become more of a student of heaven.

In recent years, for obvious reasons. Our son went to be with the Lord.

So I find myself often just thinking about heaven trying to imagine heaven trying to wrap my mind around heaven. It's a fun thing to do.

It's not an easy thing to do and you know there's a lot of books out on the topic of heaven and many of them are written by people that claim to of been there and of return and I'm just going to be upfront with you and tell you that I don't immediately believe someone when they say they been they heaven and come back okay because the only way I know of knowing what heaven is like is by going to another sort of source I only know one person who's been they heaven and come back. This told me about it and that is Jesus Christ. And he says in John 638. I have come down from heaven not to do my will but the will of Kim sent me, so he is the expert on heaven, but I am a student of heaven and I preached a lot of sermons on heaven because I want to bring the idea of how our believe in heaven should affect this what we live on earth you know it sometimes said oh you're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good. My greater concern is that I would be so earthly minded. I would be of no heavenly good. I think our belief in the afterlife has a lot to say and how we live in the before life. How we live in the here and now, the way we view the buyer by offenses in the here and now, that brings us to a text that I want to look at with you that tells us what our focus as Christians ought to be.

Colossians chapter 3 verses 1 to 2. Let's read that that's one of the passages we turn to Paul Wright.

Since then, you've been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things now want to send me this phrase. Set your mind speaks of the diligent active single-minded investigation. Have you ever concentrated your energies on a single thing researching something wanting to learn as much as you could about some place. Perhaps you were going to go visit that's what we should do with heaven.

It is a place for you to one day go visit it someplace or get a one day go and live in, so we should be actively thinking about it another way you could translate this phrase a Paul gives us here is think or have this inner disposition, a way to simplify this think heaven. By the way, the verb used in this verse is in the present tense, so I would say keep thinking heaven or another way to put it, keep seeking heaven supported altogether. So Paul is saying constantly keep seeking and thinking about heaven alike that our feet must be on earth, but our minds should be in heaven. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message in just a moment. We love hearing with Pastor Greg studies help people grow in their daily walk with Christ, Pastor Greg, thanks for how you do different postings of devotions and sermons have answered so many questions.

Many times after reading my Bible.

I listened to one of your messages. It's funny how often you preach on what I had just read in the Bible is relatable and refreshing addressing appreciating that encouragement. How have these daily studies touched you and your family. Tell us your story: 1-866-871-1144. That's 1-866-871-1144 well today were learning to be more heavenly minded Pastor Greg is leading our study of the hereafter called how eternity brings focus to what really matters.

Let's continue.

I think that those that think the most about the next life to the most in this life is a will. Why would that be, well, it's because we know life goes on in life doesn't just stop here. We know there's a future reward or rewards I should say waiting for the follower of Jesus Christ. We also know there's a final judgment of final Court of arbitration. We know every sin we committed would ultimately come out of it's not forgiven by Jesus Christ. So our belief in the afterlife affects us in this life and the way that we live in the things that we do because heaven and earth are connected. You don't. We often think of heaven is far, far away. Maybe it is.

Maybe this many heaven is just right next door, so to speak. Maybe it's just a thin veil that separates the scene world from the unseen world. There is a story of course of Elisha and his servant Jay Hayes. I and and they were surrounded by the enemy armies and and you Hayes. I saw them. Elisha was sleeping and he is I woke up and was freaking out. I woke up the sleeping prophet and I love Elisha said. He said, Lord, help them to see that those are without some more than those that are with them and suddenly this man's eyes were open and he saw the supernatural world of angels all around him right now as we sit here in our comfortable little user seats and we hear this message, there's an unseen world around us, a world of God and Satan of angels and demons. And yes, a world of heaven, then ultimately hell I don't know how far away heaven is but I know that it may be closer than we think. And heaven affects us here. What did Jesus teach us in the Lord's prayer.

He taught us to pray like this are father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus is clearly telling us that our life on earth is affected by our thoughts on heaven, we ought to be thinking heaven is it a great why should we do that because this could be your last year on this or not. I hope that thought does not frighten or terrify you the Christian is always ready to go home because the has his ticket.

By that I mean that we have our reservation. It's secure. We know what's going to happen. It's not that we have a death wish, but we know we will see God. One day, so it's not something we stress about we just live our lives that the God gives to us, but it could be our last year and what if it was, let me ask you this question if you could read your own obituary today what you think people would remember you for what would be written about you read an interesting article in the paper about many Val Patterson, who died last year and he decided that he wanted to buck the trend and write his own obituary on the soy right because of you been to some people, services, and you have them describe you think I don't really know who they're talking about because that's not the person I knew. So this guy decided to write his own obituary. So here's what he said these are his words. As it turns out I am the guy who stole the safe from the mortar view Drive in back in June 1971 he says I can let that unsaid, but I wanted to get it off my chest. He also admitted to kicking rocks into the Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone National Park and also admitted that he was banned for life from Disneyland and Sea world for youthful hijinks.

I mean honestly, I cracked up reading this that I found it kind of refreshing and so honest now. I hope you'll be remembered for more than business but at least the man was honest this and I don't determine the date of my birth and I don't determine the date of my death but I have everything to say about what happens in between those today. The great evangelist Theo Moody was asked the question if you knew the Lord was returning tonight. How would you spend the rest of your day. That's a good question, isn't it. If you knew let me ask it of you know if you knew the Lord was returning tonight.

How would you spend the rest of this day. Moody's response was I wouldn't do anything different than what I do every day.

And that's the right response from a Christian who is truly heavenly minded, we want to redeem the time that God is given to us.

We don't know wasted and we certainly don't want to try to kill it. It's been said that men talk of killing time while time quietly kills them." Life comes and goes just like that doesn't the Bible says is like a vapor of smoke that appears for a moment and then vanishes away. The Bible says we live our life like a story that's already been told. Then comes the afterlife and trust me when I tell you when you get to the afterlife and you look back on the boat for life. You will see things far differently.

You'll see them from any terminal perspective you realize what really matters in life is not what you want, but what you bill what will matter is not what you got what you gave what will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not your success but your significant so let's ask ourselves the question why are we here in the first place. Why am I taking up space. Why am I breathing air wino I exist of all the thinking among Americans and the rest at question in 61% said the main purpose of life's enjoyment and personal fulfillment. So we know that over half the population of our country thinks that life is here that they are here to simply the fulfilled and enjoying life. 50% of those who call themselves born-again Christians said the purpose of life's enjoyment and self-satisfaction really do these Christians read their Bibles because if they did they would not come to that conclusion is the purpose of life. So satisfaction let me try some living for pleasure is one of the least pleasurable things a person can do and everybody loves her something.

Everybody has something to get them out of the bed in the morning. Everyone is something that answer blood pumping something they're passionate about. And we often set goals that we want to reach.

Maybe some of you will set a goal.

A lot of times are goals of losing weight right getting in better shape, etc. I read an article this week about a woman who set a goal last year that she was able to reach here was her goal. It was to only eat at Starbucks store was a goal and she was successful her name and I'm not making this up is beautiful in existence. Timothy had hippie parents refer only hippies would name their kid that she ate only products made from Starbucks for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 365 days over the course of a year, she spent approximately five to $600 a month on prepackaged solids, pastries, rabbits, and a variety of copy drinks all from Starbucks. No, when I was reading this. The first thought that came to my mind was why why would you set such a goal and beautiful existence. Her name which have a hard time believing give her response. He said the reason I didn't is because I'm fearless and I want to explore new things in my life. I love that test the water. Anytime I challenge myself and I learned a lot. Okay beautiful existence welder would golden juice. How should I what is my purpose.

Why am I here good encouragement today to let eternity influence how we live our lives on a daily basis and there's more to come.

In this study here on a new beginning. If you weren't able to hear all of today study from Pastor Greg. You can hear the entire broadcast online@harvest.org lesson from the beginning or fast forward to the part you missed or you can even download the MP3 to her later. The message title is how eternity brings focus to what really matters is all free, but we do appreciate your financial support to help make the studies possible.

Just go to harvest.org well, it's a real privilege to have author Sally Lloyd Jones with us today. She's written a brand-new two books said that we are happy to make available to parents and grandparents called found and loved Shelley a kids really want to know that there love You know, and sometimes they don't feel that even in the best of homes they can feel less than Logsdon. It would seem to me that that's a key objective in your new picture book set. Yes, that's absolutely right, because it's such a privilege to be able to those children who may be on granting a ham or are in a ham that is struggling and enough whatever reason they didn't feel left to be able to check on's love for children is the highest cooling I can imagine and I am so honored to do it.

However, I can smile doing directly through sharing Bible story books and if I don't have to the way and to do that I can do it with a picture book that might be a batch of fish all and might be an active dog that I know redemption and JoAnn had put the heart of everything in my life so it went, it can't help but come out in the writing. Even if it's telling it sound as Emily Dickinson sent semi. I just think there are many ways to check on snobs and is I'm always looking for ways to do it and if check the child nice that I left by God, and that's Rachel begin to snap you can't stop with the rules because that would just make a child to spell in and that that the rules and not have to let Bass stay, off to you now. You left.

I think the child who so everybody your hearing from Sally Lloyd Jones and I'm reading from her biography on the back of her book that is called love based on the Lord's prayer Sally Lloyd Jones is an award-winning New York Times best-selling writer of over 25 books for children books are written for children. I like this part, although a lot of adults we know are sneaking up with them and reading them to your room and they include the Jesus storybook Bible winner of the platinum book award and an ALA notable thoughts to make your heart sing.

Winner of the Association of Christian publishers adult devotional book of the year and the Christopher medal winner and many other things. Born in Africa. Educated in England.

She now lives in New York City. She's a friend. We love and appreciate her and were offering these books that Sally has written for you that are listening for your gift of any size to help us continue to bring this radio broadcast to you each and every day so order your copy of the two-volume set sound unloved, written by Sally Lloyd Jones ever tried to check comes in a protective case, and also includes a keepsake print that you can hang on your child's wall.

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A lot of people are afraid they're worried their concern. Listen, I want to bring Christ to this crisis and I want to bring some light darkness from the word of God so you can turn your worry in the worship so you can churn your fear and the faith.

Every Sunday we have a special service for doing now live online and it simply called Harvest at Home so you go to our website harvest.org you can join us this coming Sunday for multiple services from the morning to the evening be a part of Harvest at Home this and join Pastor Greg Moore this Sunday for Harvest at Home, harvest.org when next I Pastor Greg brings us even more insight about eternity insight that will help us keep a sharper focus in the here and now. That's new beginning, and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org