Getting Eternity Right Part 2

One reason for us to Jesus phone number for Jesus to the deepest level of human motivation, the rich fool was one issue, but covetousness was another none of us is free but wanting more. Today what we can take home from a powerful parent from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is when Dr. Sir James helps us make it across the finish line.

Master loser. It's amazing how we can focus on money when it's clear we can't take it with us. Will Dave I know exactly what you mean but I do want to push back just a little bit because I like to tell people that you can take it with you if you transferred into a fund that lasts for ever and that is secure. Jesus talked about that when he was speaking about money and said lay up treasures not on earth because they can be corrupted out in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. So in that sense we can take it with us. A lot of the parables of Jesus, and I trust that this series entitled, you can't redo life a series on the parables has been a blessing to you and today's the last day, we are making these messages available to you so that you can listen to them again and again. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com for a gift of any amount. By the way these messages can be yours. Go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for this series of messages you can't redo life and that we give our attention again to a powerful parable told by Jesus.

Does this story teach us. I'd like to suggest it teaches us three lessons in for those lessons I'll give you three words. First of all, it teaches us something about three. Greed versus generosity or greed versus trust. Here you have a man who was greedy but you see, the reason he didn't see is because as far as we know every dime that he earned every show that he harvested was done honestly.

There's nothing in the text here to suggest that the man was crooked in his dealings. It's not that he was chiseling people out of what was there is just a God happen to bless them with big crops and so he had to build bigger barn. Let me tell you that the sin of covetousness which the Bible says is idolatry. That sin actually exists in all of our hearts, and it is the most difficult sin for us to see when the apostle Paul was speaking about his own conviction of sin. I believe it's in Romans chapter 11. He said that day.

He was righteous. He did everything right, but then there was one commandment that slew him, and that was the last of the 10 Commandments thou shalt not covet any realize that lust itself is coveting that which isn't yours. And it was that that drove the apostle Paul to his knees and the recognition that he needed a Savior because he understood clearly that thou shalt not covet is a sin and you and I need to remember that now.

It's interesting that we should not divorce Jesus the parable from what Jesus says afterwards. Your Bibles are open to the text, because as a continuation of this discussion, he says in verse 22. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life what you will eat about your body, what you will put on. Is not the life more than food and the body than raiment, but skip to verse 29 and do not seek what you are about to eat and what you are to drink nor be worried for all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your father knows that you have need of them.

Instead, seek his kingdom and his righteousness and these things will be added to you are not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. And Jesus again this unpredictable. Jesus says sell your possessions and give to the needy provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also in verse 33 a sometimes been misinterpreted. It's been misinterpreted.

You look at the Middle Ages and there were those essays were going to sell absolutely everything in working to walk around naked and were going to preach the gospel if we as a church did that.

What would soon discover is that we ourselves would be a huge burden to society because we all get our way into poverty. You need to take the saying of Jesus, and you need to related to the parable. What that man should have been doing instead of being so covetous is giving away most of his wealth keeping what he needed to live on, but making sure that when he died. His barns were in full for himself but for others, and Jesus here is teaching us exact late what we need to know about money. There is a word therefore, and that is the word greed.

There's a second lesson that Jesus is teaching us and that is a lesson about life itself isn't a what is what is life for the Bible says is like a vapor that's here for a moment and gone, you and I do not control the time that we die. I mean, if somebody wishes to take their own lives. They may say their own life.

They may say line controlling when I die. By the way bad idea if you're hearing this message and you are tempted to do that you are putting a period where there should be a, and there is hope. Don't accept darkness as an option, but the fact is that we really can't control the time that we die this morning coming to the church. I had the radio on and I discovered that on one of our expressways. Three people were killed this morning, this man thought well I have my future in control. You know I have much goods laid up for many years. And God said to him tonight.

This night, your soul is going to give an account I'm demanding it from you. Life is not under our and the real purpose of this life is to prepare for the next. That's why we're here. I've gone into bookstores and I looked at the travel section and their people there. You know who are buying books because they intend to go to France possibly or or Germany or someplace in Europe or some place on the other side of the world and under buying guide books as I myself have done and they're trying to learn a few words in the foreign-language, my friend. They are giving more attention to two weeks in Europe, then they are giving an eternity that is about to come, because you see eternity is on its way and this life is preparation for eternity. And that's why Jesus says here that Tim we should use our possessions provide for yourselves moneybags that do not grow old with a treasure in the heavens that will not fail. I've already emphasized Jesus in context, is not telling us to sell everything is asking us to use our money wisely and that's why here at the Moody church. We have classes on how to do that. How to budget how to live within your means they don't go into debt how to save how to give. But the point is this, that all of life is preparation for eternity. I've never done this when I'm on a plane and somebody says what you do for a living.

Maybe what I should do as I saying well I'm full time trying to prepare for eternity that I get a nice conversation going. That's what Jesus is teaching here and so there's a lesson about greed.

There's a lesson for us about life and then of course because he confused time and eternity. There's a lesson here about eternity, isn't there.

You've heard me say this many times that the Moody church and I'm sure you will hear me say it again. Life is short. Eternity is a long very long here to take a measuring tape that would go from here to Mars. By the way, this past week Rebecca and I were with a man who is an astronomer and with a laser beam flashlight. He was pointing out all of the stars that are up there and he seemed to know all of them by name, and all these constellations and all of these relationships and as is looking at it and think in God. I mean, what a party you had when you just throw all that stuff together and I asked him I said how many galaxies are there and he said to to the 10th power. Do you know how much that is. I mean, that would be on number this long and if you are to have a measuring tape from here to Mars or beyond this life could just be a little hairline and compared to eternity, and of course if we wanted to compare it to eternity. We wouldn't stop with Mars would we we would go beyond that, all the way to eternity. No wonder Jesus said to this man you fool. The way in which you prepare for eternity. By the way is not to give all your money away as the first thing that you should do. You and I know that in order to really prepare to meet God. We are thankful that when Jesus died on the cross and was raised again from the dead. He paid for our sin so that we can be forgiven. Our sin can be wiped away and that's the only way you'll get into heaven. By the way, you'll get into heaven because of the righteousness of Jesus applied to your account and don't tell me that you're a Christian because you were baptized as possible to be baptized so often that the fish in Lake Michigan.

Know your name and still be lost and we saw some of them I think yesterday asking what our names were so don't think that you are it because you were brought up in a Christian home and your good person. There are plenty of people who are good who will never make it to heaven. You must trust Christ as your Savior, to prepare for eternity. Would you remember that and get that straight. But the point is yes. The point is, he prepared her time but not eternity. You know, as I was preparing this message. I was reminded of a very wealthy farmer who was not known to me, but was known to the members of my family. His wife was a Christian. He came to church just sat there no spiritual interest at all.

I marvel at that miserable, but totally content with his sin and unwilling to come to Christ to receive forgiveness.

He owned much land Buying it up and God gave them good crops, he was still relatively young and he wasn't sick before this time but was driving his truck to the big city and he was found dead, dead of a heart attack. God said today. Your soul is demanded of him.

I wasn't at his funeral, but some of my relatives were and they said that what they did at the funeral, as they had a table where they memorialized in and on the table. They had a miniature grain elevator they had in some of you who weren't brought up on a farm won't know this, but they had a grease gun that's that's used to grease farm machinery and even his overalls that he used to wear and I thought about that and I've had a well is it really true that the person with the most toys at death when so this is what it comes down to this is what it comes down to for a rich man went all the money in the world who expected to live in many many years and suddenly without soul wisdom and by God. And unless there's some mercy that we don't know about in his life since he gave no evidence of being interested in receiving the gospel.

Perhaps he heard the words of Jesus. You fool you lived as if this was the only life there was when this life's only purpose is to prepare for eternity. One day Rebecca and I were in a funeral home and were actually looking at caskets. I never know whether they should be caskets or whether they should be called coffin. All that I know is, no matter what you call them they look rather final. When you think about the fact that someday you're going to be in one of them, but the lady who was said demonstrating them to us, showed us that some of them I don't know if all of them. They have a little drawer that you can pull out little drawers maybe 1' x 1' in 2 inches deep in which you can put something to memorialize and encapsulate the life of the person who died. She said, for example, there are some people who will put golf balls into it because this guy really was into golf i.e. I tried golf one time and I'm not into it. I either took me six strokes to get a hold in one so I decided that I got to go with something else.

But you know you put golf balls and their I suppose if somebody like to go to Las Vegas you know you could put some dice in there when they die.

If somebody was interested in politics. Maybe you would put a book there that was their favorite author. Whatever it might be that somehow symbolizes their life size looking at that little drawer in our time, and I wonder what would fit in there when I die, can I ask you a question when you die when your soul is demanded by God. What will be in that little ox what symbolizes your life. This rich man thought he had it made. God said your soul is demanded tonight and by the way, speaking of the sin of covetousness.

You know the other day I heard an ad on the newspaper or over the radio like you've heard, you know, for advertising a casino gets all of the details and this is have a gambling problem called one of the river is I don't want anybody to get that phone number. Let me tell you something is not a casino on planet Earth that regrets having made somebody an addict they're looking for addicts. I think that what Jesus is saying here got a covetous problem. Sell your possessions, give them to the poor. Be generous about take care of your covetousness. The bottom line here is a man who mistook eternity for time and in the day of judgment heard the house horrid words of God. You fool.

Now this message is intended for you.

It's intended for you. If you are a Christian. It is also intended for you, especially if you are an unbeliever here today and there may be many with us today Pius self-righteous content neglecting their soul. So I go back to the words of Jesus quoted earlier when he said so clearly what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what are you giving in exchange for your soul. If your soul has not been redeemed. Hurry to Jesus asking for cleansing for forgiveness. Transfer your trust to him. Look upon him and be saved, because someday maybe not soon, but someday your soul will be required.

While let's pray father in the passage is sobering. Forgive all of us, myself included for living as if this is the only world that exists forgetting that our real purpose of life is for eternity. Help us to prepare to meet our God for your word says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God unprepared for those who are here today have never received Christ as Savior.

Would you cause them to believe.

Maybe there in the balcony. Maybe there in the lower part of the sanctuary.

They may be listening on the Internet or by radio. Many who have joined us at this moment, we pray, help them to believe on Jesus and be saved. We call on you to do it. We can't, in Jesus name one, my friend, this is pastoralists are given listening to running to win for any length of time you know that we always point people to Jesus Christ. This ministry is really about him and not about us. I trust that you been blessed as a result of the parables that Jesus told and if so these messages can be yours in the permanent form so that you can listen to them again and again share them with your friends. Maybe you missed some of the sessions that we had together for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com and I want to thank in advance that many of you who do indeed help with this ministry is supported financially.

Thank you so very very much. We want to make this resource available to you. It's entitled, you can't redo life series of messages based on the parables of Jesus as I was mentioning. Here's what you can do.

Go to RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 now since this is the last day that we are making this resource available. I'm going to give you that contact information one more time you go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 it's time now for another chance for you to ask pastoralists or a question about the Bible or the Christian life of famous passage in the ninth chapter of Isaiah is causing Carrie to wonder what's going on. She writes Isaiah 96 says for to us a child is born, to us a son is given in the government will be upon his shoulders.

He will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace. Can you explain Jesus as everlasting father, Carrie owner, thank you so much for your question and I need to tell you that I have not looked into this in detail, but I assume that what you're asking is calling Jesus the everlasting father seems to negate the Trinity. But all that I can tell you is this, that this is a strong affirmation of the deity of Jesus Christ in sequence. You remember there in Isaiah chapter 9 it says that he will be called the mighty God, the phrase everlasting father was often used of Jehovah and in the Old Testament Jesus Christ is called Jehovah.

Now if this were the only verse in the Bible about the identity of Jesus.

We might be tempted to say that there is no Trinity but of course we know, especially when we get to the New Testament, it is very clear that there are three persons in the Godhead, but here Jesus is being affirmed as the mighty God, the everlasting father deity as the creed says God of very God. So rather than this be a denial of the Trinity.

I would rather look at it positively and say it is an affirmation of the fact that the essence of Jesus. The theologian sometimes use the word substance. The essence of Jesus is clearly one essence, God is father, son and Holy Spirit.

But there is only one essence. So in that way. Jesus is also the father and of course in the New Testament. He said whoever has seen me has seen the father.

Bottom line, Jesus is God a very God. Thank you Carrie and thank you Dr. lutes are if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask pastoralists or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 somewhere a doomsday clock measures how close we are to annihilating ourselves. It's almost midnight, but another clock is ticking. When the time is on Jesus will return to the left in the cloud, the Mount of olives, the King of Kings will take charge. Next time I'm going to win this a series on this coming look ahead to the end of Earth's history and the gateway to eternity. Thanks for listening to Pastor Erwin Blitzer this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher