Aim For Heaven! - Part 1

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Every gift counts and now every gift is double train a pastor.com this is Rodney from the masculine journey podcast. We explored manhood within Jesus Christ your chosen Truth Network podcast starting in just a few seconds. Sit back and enjoy it, share it, most of all, thank you for listening and choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill, you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today pastor Russ Sanders will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose of local Triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Sanders and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net or connect with us on Facebook.

Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious. Okay man has her body doing good. I'm glad you showed up on this beautiful evening, rather than staying on the golf course.

You better be here, Bob. You gotta be here. Good good look at testimony and I want to welcome everybody that's when the Zoloft strain I have is multi when we got here tonight but I'm really excited about the message that the Lord is put on my heart tonight. I really believe that outside of William Hatch has just say this. I really believe that this could be the most important message you have a hearty life. Not because I'm giving it but because of what I have to say from Colossians 3 from God's work is really what the Lord nothing will subside. All of us because we live in a world that is becoming a part of the sayings and in Matthew 24. That's what Jesus said the world be like near the end we are way out tenure from the animal thousand years. I can tell you I know this every day we live one day closer when I look at the world I would just say this, you gotta be ready is the and is coming, so I would have said I want the good Lord in prayer, father, thank you for this day. Thank you Lord for the war that you've given may not pray Lord that you would and I know you will that you take your word out and send it out anointed by your spirit that it will penetrate the minds and hearts of everyone who's listening both here in the sanctuary and little thank you for this wonderful sanctuary in which we get in the but also know that your penetrate over the Internet to those who are listening via laughs during similar pray that you would touch our hearts to God that you would change us, that we would hear this and be changed and that we would begin to really have a better understanding that this world is coming to an end that it allows like a missed were like a vapor. One minute we hear next minute were gone and we need to be ready for that day so I pray that you would encourage the man with this message that you would challenge them that you would inspire them to gotta want to live a life that you is in your and that I pray, amen to entitle tonight's message.

Aim for heaven take dead aim for heaven and keep your own. Heaven will be a cluster chapter 3 and I want to begin tonight at the end. At the end of Colossians 3 got you take your Bible up and in turn it up into Colossians 3 is really where were handling the word of God and you want to be reading the word of God.

Any time you're sitting under someone's preaching was that you want to make sure the purchase is telling the truth so you need to have the word of God, open so at the end of Colossians 3, Paul writes in verses 23 and 24 whatever you do, work at it with all your heart is working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord is a what a reward. You don't hear that is the Lord Christ you are serving. This should be motivation.

We serve the Lord Jesus Christ who rescued us. If you're in Christ from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

Listen man when I think about all the sins from which God and the strongholds from which God has delivered me and forgiven me. How can I not serve him with Montara life was left of it, that's my motivation I'm telling you that's why Russ Andrews is doing what he's doing because I owe so much to my Savior and in the least I can do is to serve him with everything that I have in my doing that no I don't think we ever really given everything we have. We do the best we can with his help. Secondly, God's promise to reward not only to me but to all of us who follow him faithfully to live a life worthy of our calling is there's a lot I want to answer two questions why should we live a life worthy of Christ and secondly how do we do another was how do we live a life worthy of the Lord – within the theme of Colossians. As far as the theme of the end of Hebrews is all that you know we got all this doctrine. Now we need to understand how to live it out how to be the man that God wants us to be answer first and explain why we should live a life worthy of Christ and one reason is that the only reason that one reason is because one day man how children think about the end of your life. Each one of us will have to stand before Jesus Christ Mono Mono and give an account of our lives. Did you realize that your view be there all alone before Jesus in your whole life. He knows all, every thought, word and deed. Did you know that there to place of judgment in the Bible.

One is for believers and the other is for unbelievers and listen.

They are vastly different, like comparing light to darkness.

One is called the great white throne judgment and the other one is called the judgment seat of Christ. We told about your Matthew 713 or 14 verses into the narrow gate. For wide is the road and browse the path that leads to destruction. How many enter that many but narrow is the gate to Lisa life and only a few what font it solicited. Most people that we know on which road the wide right and I want you to understand this when the rot when wide road comes to an end. It ends at the great white throne judgment with the narrow road comes to an end it into the judgment seat of Christ where most people going to end up in the great white throne judgment. Billions of people. Most of our friends many many people to go to church clueless. In John chapter 5 verses 28, 29 Jesus says do not be amazed at this, for time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out when Jesus said measures come out, who came out you don't happen if he just said come out everybody would come out, but he called Nazareth that one day Jesus is going to look at the world he's going to say come out and those who have done good domains. They placed their trust in Jesus Christ and Christ alone. Those who've done that will rise to live, but those who have done evil, that is, they rejected God's grace and mercy. They will rise to be condemned. So here's the million dollar question was that she going to take place at each one of these judgment judgments were first one will be a place of weeping regret unbearable sorrow and guilt, fear and dread condemnation darkness, I can come up with enough force to describe advancement ability is a place of eternal judgment. The other place will be a place of joy and hope and excitement and in celebration and I believe incredible laughter and a place of eternal reward switch placed you want to be in Revelation chapter 20 verse 11 through 15.

John describes the great white throne judgment.

John, who was the disciple whom Jesus loved, he love them all. But John had a very special relationship with Jesus. You may recall that of the 12 disciples 10 were martyred for their faith. Judas was a committed suicide.

John was only one apparently was not moderate. However, he was exiled to the island of Patmos to Gaza, then there is a real island is in the Aegean say it was a penal colony. If you ever saw Papillon you missing that movie is Kelly that and so John was exiled. There and while he was there, Jesus appeared to him and he told him John. I will show you some visions to write down what you see when you get to Revelation chapter 20.

Jesus give John a vision of the coming great white throne judgment in his John describes it, then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.

It was seated on the great white throne.

Jesus is the judge of the world. The father's given all judgment to the sun, earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. Other that's the place for them to hide and I sell the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books will open normative and books will open in another that was open, which is the book of life.

The dead were judged according to what they had done. You don't be judged because of what you've done. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had and had done since his death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire because I don't personally believe I could be wrong. I don't personally believe that it's actually a real like a fire. I think the symbolic of a place of eternal torture, guilt with a warm divider of the wicked never ceases is a guilty conscience that will just drive a man insane and you will be to get appeal from a psychiatrist. You will be to commit suicide. This is a place of darkness is a place of fire, your soul is burning with guilt, I can come up with worse describe the benefit of the do you want to know why Jesus said you must be born again because if you're born twice. You only die once, but if you're born wants the front you down twice in the second death will last for how long you never die, but it's like dying.

You want to die which will be able to and it will last forever and ever and ever. This is why I was so upset without minister down own just say where it is Jim Knight downtown Raleigh who listen to the whole sermon he gave a sermon on John chapter 3 and he basically implied that Jesus never meant that you had to be born again.

He did that by twisting the words and was so sad is he's probably letting most of the people not conversation down the wide road. You know I'm alive today. I let you punch them out but that were not a Chrysler. What is a small delay. I think I can take him.

So anyway, go do that. But this is what I was so upset about running. I can get upset when I think about it.

Jesus said that it if someone leads a little child away from me it would be better if you if you a millstone tied around his neck and he was cast into the deep cast into the deepest ocean, you know, nothing will probably suffer the greatest judgment of the right waffle judged the great white throne judgment, false teachers, false ministers, false preachers who lead masses down the wide road and they'll probably have to stand there is their congregation files by them. And Jesus looks of that minister and says your condemned because I never knew you and you live so many of my people astray. Jeremiah says woe to the shepherd who leads the flock astray. The coming will great white throne judgment will be a placement of condemnation will be a place to which all those who refute God's grace and mercy will be summoned. They'll be summoned and you will build or skip court you will physically be brought there physically. Your soul will be in a physical body and you stand before Jesus, the judge of the world will be a place with a loss will stand before Jesus to be judge because they refuse to come to him in this life, if you really believe that the impact of you not share your faith with a friend you love if you really believe it. I'm guilty as charged.

I won't both people everyday.

Not sure that this with them but I believe it is the good news that's all the bad news. I want you to understand this truth is not a single believer will ever stand at the great white throne judgment. Do you know why because a sense of art and judged where were they judged with us as hide it at the cross thereto place where your sins can be judged. They can rejoice in this life. At the cross, by faith in Jesus when you would die in your sentence and then you will be judged according to the things recorded in those books there will be opened up dear what happened to the book that has all my sins and it was a nail.

Where was it nailed, is now to the cross and in God burn it up, ripped it apart, they cast all my sins into the depths of the sea. So were we going to stay in this hope everybody is in Christ list.

If you're not in Christ. I'm warning you because I love you. Oh, I don't want you to stand before that great white throne judgment when it's too late. When the Lord appears in the sky it will be too late the day of grace will be over so were we going to stand requesting the judgment seat of Christ.

Paul writes about this in second courtship of fiber stand Phyllis what he says for Lee is talking to the believers in Corinth and Gaza been to Corinth and have stood right there before this huge rock that have full Greek letters on DMA. It is the blame is a pronouncement to pulse is fully must all appear before the blame on the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. I think that good or bad symphonies, eternal, temporal, who you live in for we live for eternal things will temporal every single believer will be invited to stand before Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ. The Greek word from which we get this phrase generously does blame or it was before the blame. I think this is a platform right here and I'm the judge and you just run a race there will hundred runners and it and you came in first place. Think about the Olympics when those who understand that platform, gold, silver and bronze there. The victors, the judgment seat of Christ is a reward by court, where the rewards will be handed out to the victors to those who live their lives for the for the world is coming off of this world.

I share this with my Friday morning Bible study, and a man who sit here tonight and will call him out but he sits back and we don't have this chart in the church is a good question.

Still, I think you'll hear in church, but when you come in this study on Michael skip over anything in the Bible go right through it verse by verse. If we get some uncomfortable using a muscular effort.

Nobody dared, we did hear the truth even if it makes us uncomfortable. Even if it puts fear in us because it's the truth that we do what set a man free so I'm asking if you life working in right now you feel you're ready to stand for Jesus.

Sometime nothing but great waterjet on the degeneracy of Christ, are you satisfied with what you living are you pleased with the way you're living what you want to live better do it a little a life that's more pleasing to God.

You want to run with more vigor you want to run to win the prize.

Did you know that one of the reasons Christian, a florist during the days of the Roman rule was because their belief in future rewards. The lesson Jesus told us about visual rewards for a reason is not some selfish thing up, think of a comedy. Second, when some award. My friend JR Williams to plaintiff 500 churches in Third World countries. He was it what you want to go to Notre Dame will more reward in heaven, but in the back of his mind.

He knows that in serving the Lord that he did because he loved Jesus he knew that there would be reward in heaven. In Revelation chapter 22 verse 12 Jesus is, behold, I'm coming soon.

My reward is with me and I'll give to everyone according to what he is done in Matthew chapter 5 verse 12 Jesus is rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven is a great book by David Jeremiah is entitled until I come. How to wait, watch and work until Christ returns. Eat all read that book David Jeremiah until I come in that book he says the Bible tells us that after the church is taken to heaven. Individual believers will be judged for their works done in the body as Christians at that time. Special reward will be handed out now to understand this truth your works. Do not save you. You understand that you're safe.

The one work in us the work of what grace but is also the work of faith that God give you is believe Jesus is the one work. The governor wants is to believe in the one he sent thing is John 529 but once saved your works matter yours when they will pass to the far you can read about that in first Corinthians 310 through 15th in your your works will be there either wood hay and stubble or gold, silver, precious stones in the past to the fire of God's judgment if his Woodhaven stubble. That is if you live for yourself will be concerned. You will have any reward except the one you be saved but all about how your chinny chin chin with us on a better award fire insurance so the judgment seat of Christ.

Client will be handed out to those who who ran to win the prize to those who ran victoriously to those who have been faithful in their service to the Lord. Revelation 1410 says fully believers will all stand before God's judgment seat. According to the Bible under this is not a Colossians 3 but cluster talks about this inheritance and I want you to. I'm cut. I want to say discount like a if your basketball team today and I told my friend Wes about this Friday morning that you know at the end of basketball season, they would give out MVP best sportsman award.

This hustle award. Whatever insight you what we think about that during the season but you, knew that was common so you work to please the coach is you want to get one of those awards. So the five crowns will be handed out irregular and some of them.

First of the crown victory for Scranton's nine versus 24 through 27 says run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it believers to get a crown that will last for ever see everybody on earth is working for Carranza just don't last. They fade away. I was in the gas off today and he wanted a club championship and he had this trophy been looked old and ugly and I thought meeting have that thing therefore pulses I do not run like a man running aimlessly.

I do not fight like a man being there. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified for the prize, I heard a great cast of, or a minister set up your couple Sunday mornings ago and he said his main goal as a pastor is not to be disqualified.

Howdy or disk crown of victory. It begins allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life. This crown will be given to those who live for eternal things, not the temple who live for the world to come out this one. This crown will be given to a man who lives to please God and not man who you live in a place your friends or God or you living for the.a full line. Don't know what I mean by that. If you live for the.line. Think of your you're born right here that's it.it is a line drawn this way into eternity, you will spend eternity somewhere and is just a line. Really this is nothing but a stream of dots so this 1st.usual life on earth is 75 years plus or minus whatever.

So you living for that.order line hug deliver the line you forget about that.after the list line about 10,000 years. It is just fading memory inviting a memory. Jim Millet said he has no food he gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose CT stud. The great British racquetball player.

What are they called themselves to only one life to send the past only most of the Christ. Last this first print will be awarded to those who doubt of this world and live for Christ.

Secondly, the crown of rejoicing. First Thessalonians 219 says for what is our hope, our joy will the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes, is it not you always talk about those who would lead to Christ. This is a crown that will be given to soul winners there some people out there who are not ashamed to talk about the Lord and with everybody in Canada just talk about Jesus. They may go to restaurant in and engage the wife to say anything I can pray for your better you struggle with anything, a minister, I just follow Jesus. They share their faith with a friend.

When is the last time you share the gospel with a friend is convicting that when I was in seminary, I took an evangelism class. We had during the course of the semester.

Three months turn in 18 witness and reports the wood we had to give. 18 encounters during that semester. We share the gospel. Somebody you know I was.

I had not been doing for about 20 years sharing the gospel on the people that get on an airplane into their sit there waiting for the plane to fill up the pray Lord I pray that you put somebody beside me that needs to hear the gospel you do that, there are the crown of righteousness.

Paul's last words when he was in prison were to his his son in Christ Timothy in the this is what I really want him stuck. I have fought the good fight, I finish the race have kept the faith. Now this 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 long for his appearing. Do you long for the appearing of Jesus his heart a long phase appearing.

If you living in sin is long-term is hard to love his appearing. If you living for this world and just accumulating things so many Christians and we all this world you listen on the cancer cells of the body. We are all guilty of of the sanctuary we get caught up in the things of this world. The stock market, politics, making money, living for the weekend. We don't really longing for Jesus return because were too busy living for the pleasures of this world that describe you you looking forward to the day when the clouds part and there will be the Lord, all you living a life of obedience. Your longing to see Jesus. If you are in this a crown waiting for you. It's known as the crown of righteousness for the crown of life. This is in James 112 is the fourth crown. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial is when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life.

They got his promise to those who love him. I think about John Erickson auditing thing about us and to right then who became a quadriplegic at age 17. She's been confined to a wheelchair. She's about 70 years old and she loves the Lord. She paints with her mouth.

She's saying she's also had breast cancer. You think she's not will get to the crown of life.

All of heaven will stand up and and and the Paul John Erickson. She stands before Jesus and the judge was surprised, being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources@writingpurpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local tribal men study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh. Find out more finding purpose.net. This is the Truth Network