Speaker 1: 0:06

I invite you, if you have your Bibles, to open to Colossians, chapter 3, colossians, chapter 3. Many of us have heard that old saying that they were so heavenly minded they were no earthly good. They were so heavenly minded they were no earthly good. They were so heavenly-minded they were no earthly good. Well, if there's ever any truth in a statement like that, it would be because the person that they're speaking about has an unbiblical understanding of heavenly-mindedness and they treat the Christian life perhaps as an escape from reality. And we certainly don't want that kind of heavenly mindedness. True heavenly mindedness, a biblical heavenly mindedness, actually is the basis and fuel for much earthly good. Cs Lewis noted this as he looked back at history, cs Lewis being a 20th century apologist quite well known. You look back at history, cs Lewis being a 20th century apologist quite well known. You may know him from the Chronicles of Narnia, but he said this if you read history, you'll find that the Christian who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, they all left their mark on earth precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven. Occupied, that's a strong word, isn't it? Their minds were occupied with heaven. How much have our minds been occupied with heaven this past week? How much are our minds occupied with heaven as we come into worship? Those are fair questions.

Speaker 1: 2:11

Rodney Stark was a sociologist, or is? He wrote the Rise of Christianity and he points out the early church. When all these plagues struck and when they had all these various diseases and pandemics that came about, others would flee. They would leave those who were dying or diseased to themselves. Didn't want to get near them. But it was the heavenly-minded Christians, early Christians, which helped give them courage and hope to help and care for those who needed it most with their diseases and even as they died from the plague. It was the heavenly mindedness of those early Christians that gave them courage to face death, to help others. Very powerful testimony and that love that Christians had, that heavenly-minded love, spread throughout the report of that spread throughout the Roman Empire. People couldn't believe why these Christians would care about people they didn't even know in such a manner.

Speaker 1: 3:18

In this Forward in Faith Vision Campaign, we've considered two important topics so far. We looked at the greatness of God, not only the greatness of God in His being, but also the greatness of God toward His creation and in particular toward His people in goodness and love. And so we looked at how great God is. But we also looked at the church and how the church is the bride of Christ and Christ loves her dearly and he wants us to love her too. And so those are the first two weeks.

Speaker 1: 3:52

But today I want to turn to a third focus, this heavenly-mindedness of faith, not just for the purposes of the campaign, but actually for the purposes of our entire Christian life on this earth, actually for the purposes of our entire Christian life on this earth. I say that because the Bible is saturated with a heavenly mindedness. As you read through your Bible, notice how often, in one way or another, the Bible is looking to our future in glory, whether it's the bodily resurrection, the return of Christ, the new heavens and the new earth, the intermediate heaven, where the souls of saints are right now who have gone on before. The ultimate heaven, when the trumpet blows and Christ comes back and makes all things new, the loveliness of what's going on in heaven, and so forth. Just note that, and I say it's important for us to be heavenly minded, because if we as a church, as Westtown Church, want to do a lot of earthly good, it's very important that we are heavenly minded. If we desire to mature in the Christian life and live our Christian life in a way that begins to baffle other people, we have to be heavenly minded. If we want to live a life that's very, very pleasing to our Heavenly Father, we have to be heavenly minded. Our faith has to be marinated in heavenly mindedness.

Speaker 1: 5:21

With that brief introduction, I'd invite you, if you're able to stand, I'd like to read from you the first several verses of Colossians, chapter 3. This is the infallible, inerrant, holy word of the living God, colossians 3, verse 1. If, then, you've been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ and God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of the Lord endures forever. God's people said Amen. Thank you, father. We come to your word. We need your Holy Spirit to illumine our hearts and minds and give us not just an intellectual but a spiritual understanding. Drive these things deep into our hearts, let it run through our veins and may it bear fruit for the glory of Christ, our Savior, amen. So I want to show you in the first two chapters a bit of the heavenly mindedness that prepares us for chapter three in this book of Colossians.

Speaker 1: 6:37

If you have a Bible with you, you can flip back a page or so and you'll notice how Paul addresses these Colossian Christians. In chapter 1, verse 2, where he has the greeting, it says to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ Saints and faithful brothers, that's what you are, by the sheer grace of God. Westtown Christians, you are a saint, you're a holy one who's been called out by God and his grace. And it says here in verse 13,. Christians have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved son. You've been taken out of one kingdom full of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. And it goes on to say in Christ, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Redemption is a marketplace term, in this case it's. We've been bought out of the slavery to sin and our slavery to self and slavery to Satan and slavery to the things of this world, and we've been purchased at a great price. So when you hear that word, redemption, go to the marketplace. But it also talks about the forgiveness of sins. Now we need to go to the courthouse where our debts are dealt with and we hear God declare as judge over us that our sins have been forgiven. And by the way, just a quick note, a little help in reading your Bible here.

Speaker 1: 8:04

When forgiveness of sins is part of what the blessing of a Christian, that's called justification by the Apostle Paul and by Jesus, for that matter, and it's in the Old Testament. Justification has two sides of a coin, has a heads and a tails the forgiveness of sins. You can think about it as the tails of the coin of justification. It means it's speaking here about all of our sins being wiped away. But anytime we're declared that our sins are forgiven, there's always the other side of the coin, the head side of the coin. That's implied, even if it's not stated, and that is not only are your sins forgiven, but you're declared righteous in Christ Forgiveness. You don't just get back to zero, you're viewed in Christ as if you fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law of God, inwardly and outwardly. Is that awesome, or what Right? You don't get your sins forgiven so now you can try again to earn your salvation. That's not what forgiveness is. It's linked to this declaration of the righteousness of Christ, and so just remember that.

Speaker 1: 9:10

And now, how did these Colossians get right with God? Well, we see in Colossians 1.4,. They became Christians through faith in Christ. That's evident there, through the word of God, which Paul says. Here is the word of the truth, the gospel, or the good news. So evangelism is important. We need to tell others about Christ. In verse six here they were saved, or in this instance, saved in that they were justified on the day what? On the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. So we have to hear just how great the goodness of God is towards sinners. That's grace. We have to hear the truth of the gospel, but it has to be presented as the grace of God as well.

Speaker 1: 10:01

And so we see everywhere in Scripture, throughout both the Old and New Testament, how we're saved and one of the blessings of having this declaration of righteousness over us, this declaration of the forgiveness of our sins. You know what that means. It's God who justifies as our judge. Isn't it good if you go to court to look up there and see your father behind the bench, the father who loves you? And so when he declares you justified, your sins forgiven, and you're declared righteous in his sight because of what Christ accomplished, not because of what we accomplished, what that means is the final judgment verdict has been moved forward into the presence for you to hear through the gospel. That's why we don't have to fear the final judgment, us who believe in Christ. Are you glad? Isn't God good? This is the beauty of the gospel, this is the greatness of God in his goodness and love. This is the love that should fill the church of God and the peace that should fill the bride of Christ.

Speaker 1: 11:07

But throughout the Old and New Testament we see here, even in the first chapter, how people are saved. It's by faith alone, not by works or faith plus works. No, by faith alone, through Christ alone, through grace alone, by the promises of what? By the word of God alone. And verse two here in chapter 1 makes clear this grace and peace come from God the Father. This grace and peace that we have through our salvation in Christ comes from God the Father, and we see down in verse 20 of chapter 1 that this peace is secured through the blood of Christ.

Speaker 1: 11:46

So Christ, it isn't just that he gives us psychological peace, although that's a benefit it's that God is no longer at war with us. It's that kind of peace, in other words we can know that God is at peace with us because we're no longer an enemy to God In his love. Even while we were his enemies, christ died for us, as Romans 5 says. And so because grace and peace come from God, that means that God alone gets the glory. We get the joy, he gets the glory. And so notice here too, in chapter one, verse 16, that the Lord Jesus Christ being the son of God, he created all things, including heaven and earth. Heaven is a created place I always like to capitalize it when I write because it's a place, it's an actual place, and Christ created heaven and earth and all things therein, things both visible and invisible. There are realities we can see and realities we cannot see with our senses, and then notice here heaven's mentioned again down in verse 20.

Speaker 1: 12:57

But if you back up to verse 18, it speaks of Jesus as the firstborn from the dead. Of course, where did he go after his resurrection? Right, he ascended into heaven. But speaks of him as the firstborn. What is that, the firstborn from the dead? Well, the Jews had a harvest, the feast of the first fruits, and what they would do. I'll explain it like this If I have an apple orchard and I see just the first apples coming in and the first ripe ones are there, I could go over and get the first five or seven or 10 or 12, put them in a bag or a basket and I could take them to my neighbor and say here's the first fruits of the harvest. Now the rest of the harvest is coming. The rest of the harvest it's coming, but that's the first fruits. Well, christ is the first born from the dead. What that means is the rest of the harvest is coming. He is risen from the dead. We will most surely follow in his train. We are, in that sense, part of the harvest of the resurrection of Christ. He's just the first fruits, or the first born. That's what it means for Jesus to be the first born from the dead is the guarantee of our own bodily resurrection. So it's not just about him, it's also about us. Now notice too in verse 23,.

Speaker 1: 14:16

Paul speaks here of the hope of the gospel. You hear that word Hope, faith and love. Yes, hope, hope that takes us up, and future and future. I like to speak of hope as the shade of faith. The shade of faith. It's as if faith raises the shade and lets the light of the coming kingdom of God and all of its fullness, lets the rays of that light come in through the window into the heart and mind of the believer and into the life of the believer. Hope, because we're able now to see things we could not see. You know, a dark room with all the furniture. If you stick your head in there, you can't see anything. But hope is like a light coming on. Okay, yeah, it's there, but you could see it. After the light goes off, you can still see it right In your mind. That's what hope is like. You can see it, you know it's there, but you can't see it physically yet, but you know it's there.

Speaker 1: 15:24

Notice how Jesus is in the gospel are referred here. It's how Christ is revealed in the gospel in verse 27 of chapter one. Christ in you, the hope of glory, or chapter 1. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Isn't that interesting. Christ in you, the hope of glory. It isn't that Jesus just gives us hope, it's not that he just glorifies his people or secures a place of glory. Jesus is the hope of glory.

Speaker 1: 15:53

Without Christ, there is no hope. Without Christ, there is no glory. Without Christ, heaven would not be heaven. He is the substance of heaven. He's what makes heaven heaven. Remember two weeks ago everything that's good and loving and beautiful and true flows from the very being of God, flows from Christ. If Christ wasn't in heaven, we wouldn't want to be there. It would be an empty warehouse. But Christ is there.

Speaker 1: 16:27

And Christ, who's in heaven bodily, is in you. He's in you, is in you, he's in you. What does that mean? His Holy Spirit, just like, if you've seen Christ, you've seen the Father. Well, if you've seen Christ, you understand what the Holy Spirit's like. And Christ sent his Holy Spirit to spiritually be in us. In that sense, we're connected with heaven. Isn't that a marvelous thought. As a believer, you're connected with this mysterious physical or spiritual union with Christ. If we could see it and we can't it's almost like there's this, his strong arm that just comes down out of heaven. His strong arm just comes down out of heaven and it just has a hold of you and when we take our last breath up, we go, we're in, we're connected with heaven. Christ is in us, he is the hope of glory.

Speaker 1: 17:30

And notice in chapter two, verse nine Christ is the whole fullness of deity, dwells bodily. It says here. So the Son of God comes out of heaven, puts on flesh and bone and dwells bodily in our midst. The King of heaven himself comes to earth. He's the one mediator between God and man, between heaven and this fallen world, and he has come down. And we're reminded again in chapter 12, or chapter two, verse 12, jesus didn't just come down, but he died for our sins. He was raised from the dead. And in verse 13, it makes clear following his atoning death. Listen to what it says.

Speaker 1: 18:12

This is one of my favorite assurance of pardon verses in all the Bible. After his atoning death, having forgiven us of all of our trespasses by canceling the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands this he set aside, nailing it to the cross, did you hear? Forgiveness of all of our trespasses. How good is that? Do you have any sins that just haunt your conscience? Christ died for that one too, aren't you glad? He died for them all, not for most, not for 99%. He didn't get to use a football analogy he didn't get it down to the one or the half yard line to let you take it in. He dealt with the whole thing. He's worthy to be praised. And so there's and he dealt with it at the cross, and we received the benefits of that through faith alone, by just trusting in him.

Speaker 1: 19:20

So there's this heavenly mindedness in Colossians one and two. That's the point. And I could take you throughout the Bible and you would just see this everywhere. You would see heaven everywhere. It's saturated with it. And what Colossians 1 and 2 does for us is it prepares us to hear the first several verses of chapter 3. There's this heavenly mind that just weaves its way and it's just part of Paul's. Everything he's saying is just in there. It's like in a stew. It's just, it's like the spice that makes the stew worth eating. Right, that's how Paul writes.

Speaker 1: 19:57

And so we come to chapter three. Now he begins to tell us how to live. He's got all these things he had to say about the person of Christ and what Christ has done for our salvation in a heavenly minded way. Therefore, now live like this. That's what chapters three and four are In light of. Therefore, now live like this. That's what chapters three and four are. In light of this, live like this. So how are we to live? Well, look at verse one. Seek the things that are above. Paul says Look at verse that. What's the point of that Verse one? That's where Christ is. That's the only reason we need. There are others, but without that, none of the others matter. That's where Christ, the lover of our souls, our God and our King, the one who has secured our salvation, the one who made all things and yet comes down and is mindful of us and saves us. That's where he is. He is the center and the glory of heaven. Again, he makes heaven heaven.

Speaker 1: 21:15

I remember years ago when my parents moved to Florida. They, we came from Illinois down to Florida. The winters are a lot better here, I can testify. But it's always kind of sad when you leave a place, isn't it? You have to leave. You know, certain loved ones behind. We'd always lived in the same place. My parents lived in that same place all their life and it's a little sad. It's exciting to move, but it's sad too. But one of my siblings said to my mom one day down here in Florida mom, wherever you are, that's home, and you are, that's home.

Speaker 1: 21:55

And you see, as Christians, as people who believe in Christ, our true home is in heaven, where Christ is, because we love him and knowing that he loves us. Wherever Christ is, that's home for the believer. He's been bodily raised into heaven. Heaven is our home. It's not this world. It's not that this created world is bad. It's just simply because of sin in the fall. It's passing away, it's temporary. The goodness of God's all around us. There's much to be thankful for. Life is a blessing. Amen and amen. We're not to denigrate life in this world. That's not what the Bible's saying. It's just saying something better is coming and we don't anchor our souls in something that's passing away or the things that are passing away. It doesn't make them bad. They're just not worthy of our trust. They're not worthy of our living for them. We live for the one who created all those gifts. We receive them as gifts.

Speaker 1: 23:10

I like the Band of Brothers series. Maybe some of you do. My wife likes it too, but it always puts tears down my cheek. But Easy Company back in World War II. It's about them, and you'll see this in a lot of war movies.

Speaker 1: 23:26

You know, when the shelling stops, the shooting stops, you'll see some guys in a foxhole or something, or maybe they get back to camp and they have time where they can just kind of gather themselves a little bit, pull out their canteens, and what do you often see a guy do when he has a quiet moment? He reaches in his pocket and he pulls out a picture of his loved one and he looks at it. Now, why does he do that? And what is he feeling? He's homesick, he's longing to be home and he wants to be home, and by that he doesn't mean he just wants to be in his house. What if he came home from war, went to his house and no one's there? He wants to be in his house. What if he came home from war, went to his house and no one's there? He wants to be home because the one he loves, along with his family and friends, are there, and that's why we want to be in heaven. Is it not To see Jesus face to face, to bask anything good and beautiful and true you've ever experienced in your life came from him, and so that's what heaven is. I wonder if you're homesick for heaven this morning.

Speaker 1: 24:44

Paul never ceased to be amazed at the love that Christ had for him, in spite of the fact that Paul was a persecutor of the early church, had the blood of Christians on his hands, and then Christ saved him. In Galatians 2.20, paul says about Christ, who loved me and gave himself for me. If you're going to heaven, it's because Christ loved you and gave himself for you, for you. Look at verse one of chapter three. If, then the senses of it's not if, as in a question. It's more like since then. Since then you have been raised with Christ.

Speaker 1: 25:30

There's that idea of union. We've been raised with Christ because we're in Christ. Right, he not only represented us, but we're spiritually united to him in some mysterious spiritual bond. He's the vine, we're the branches, is how he puts it in John 15. But he's seated at the right hand of God. So he didn't just rise from the dead, he ascended into heaven, that place that he created in the beginning, and he is sitting at the right hand of the father, which means he's sitting in that place of all honor and sovereign authority. And that's your destiny and mine, for those of us who believe in Christ. Notice he says you saints have been raised with Christ. How can he say you have been raised? Well, one, we're united with Christ. Two he represented us in his resurrection. He's the first fruits of the resurrection, the firstborn from the dead.

Speaker 1: 26:36

But he's speaking in such a way that our resurrection and coming bodily into heaven is so certain he can speak about it in the past tense. You know if I say to Tony tense. You know if I say to Tony, tony needs some help. Tony needs some help in his yard. You know his leg's hurting and he can't get the grass cut. He says can you come over and cut my grass Saturday, corey? And I say, tony, it's done. Well, I haven't even hung up the phone yet and I'm telling him it's done. How? I'm letting him know it's so certain, I'll cut your grass. It's done Past tense. And that's how God, that's how the prophets speak, and that's how God speaks, because the certainty of God's promises are so certain. He can speak to us in the past tense. And so you have been raised with Christ. If you believe in Christ, you too will be raised and it's so certain we can speak as if it's already happened.

Speaker 1: 27:41

You hear this language in other places Roman eight those whom he justified. He also what Glorified? You see justification forgiveness of our sins, that is, and being declared righteous. That's justification. That happens in this life. But he can say if you've been justified through faith in this life, it's so certain you'll be glorified in heaven, both body and soul. I'm going to speak about it as if it's already happened.

Speaker 1: 28:07

Those whom he justified, he also glorified, because that's your destiny. Christian is heaven, and not only is heaven your destiny. That shapes your identity. Do you notice how confused our culture is about things of identity today? In every way, people are under all this pressure to come up with some identity that they create that they can then try to keep up and sell to everybody. That's a very tiring way to live. It also happens to be untrue and, in many cases, phony.

Speaker 1: 28:44

You're a saint who's going to heaven, whose place is secured in heaven, as a child of God. That's your identity and we're called to live it out. We're a saint Too often, I think, in our day. Yes, we need to acknowledge our imperfections. We need to be humbled by the law of God at times. As Christians, yes, we need to confess our sins frequently, amen. But there's a sense in which you can be prideful by just talking about all the time I'm imperfect, I'm a sinner, I'm imperfect. There's a place to be saddened by your sin. But that's not all the Bible says about us. We go to Christ and we realize by the grace of Christ, I am a saint. You see, being a sinner is not your identity. Christian, that is not your identity. That's something you have to deal with, but it's not your identity. Your identity is that you are a saint by the grace of God and it's calling us to live out that identity unto holiness, to live it out, to own that from God as a gift and as a privilege, and to live it out.

Speaker 1: 30:00

Do you know the Westtown Church? You are a colony of heaven. You know there were 13 English colonies right In the early days of our country. This church is a colony of heaven and we answer not to the queen or king of England, but to the king of heaven. This is his realm. And so Paul's saying live that out, seek the holy and loving things of heaven, because that is who we are as a people. We're a heavenly people living on earth. Focus your heart and mind upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who's at the Father's right hand, as our advocate, as our friend, as the one who secures our salvation, as the one who was sent by the Father because he loves us just as much as Christ and the Holy Spirit. He's our advocate and brother and friend. This is why it's so important we're in the word of God frequently, because you cannot be meditating on the word of God and not begin to be more and more heavenly minded, because the Bible's saturated with it and we begin to once we see it. We see it even more Once we become aware of it. We see it even more Once we become aware of it. We see it's all over the place and it begins to then shape how we live.

Speaker 1: 31:19

Let me give you an example from examples from Hebrews, chapter 11. Sometimes that is called the heroes of the faith chapter, and here's where the author of Hebrews for centuries they thought the apostle Paul wrote it. He may have some scholars don't hold to that, it doesn't matter. The point is he says this faith here is to be commended in Hebrews 11. And he's telling the early church live like this and he points them to various Old Testament saints.

Speaker 1: 31:50

Abraham is one in Hebrews 11, verses 8 through 10. And listen to what it says. By faith, abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith, he went to live in a land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. And then it tells us in verse 10 why Because he was looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God. Abraham moved out, went from Ur and what would later be Babylon, didn't even know where he's going to, where God lead him. Why did he risk for the kingdom? Because he was looking for that city. He wasn't just looking for the promised land per se. He was looking for something much greater. He was looking past the promised land. It's not that the promised land didn't matter, but there was something so much better. The promised land was over only a foreshadow of that greater thing that was coming, namely when heaven and earth are one again, the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God. That's heaven, with the new heavens and the new earth.

Speaker 1: 33:09

Then Hebrews 11 talks about other Old Testament saints. Think of Abel and Enoch, noah, sarah, who's Abraham's wife, and others are listed. But listen to what it says then, in verse 13, about all these Old Testament saints of faith. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they'd been thinking of that land from which they'd gone out, they would have had opportunity to return, that is, return to that same land, but as it is, they desire a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore, god is not ashamed to be called their God because he has prepared for them a city. Do you see that they realized that they had a heavenly consciousness that we're strangers here, we're exiles. We're not at home in this fallen world that rebels against God. We're to be thankful for life, give praise for God, for his goodness in our life, but this is not our home. There's a better country, a heavenly one.

Speaker 1: 34:20

Hebrews goes on to talk about, in chapter 11, the faith of Moses. Who said, who chose in verse 25, rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. You see, he was looking to the heavenly reward. He thought you could add up all the treasures of Egypt and he thought, taking heat for being a believer in the Lord in this life, the reproach of Christ was worth more than all of the treasures of Egypt. Heavenly mindedness changed how he viewed everything, including the treasures of Egypt. And then it goes on to talk about Rahab and Gideon and Samson, david, and there's others. And they had endured horrific persecution. And it says they were destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered around in deserts and lived in caves, and so forth. Do you think they regret that now? Do you think they regretted that now? Do you think they regret living like that now, this morning in glory? What about the 70 Christians who were beheaded by ISIS on February 13th in the Congo? Do you think they regretted standing for Christ this morning? I don't think so.

Speaker 1: 35:54

Verse 39, and all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us. Our best life is not now. Throw that piece of trash book in the garbage. It's a false gospel. Our best life? God often blesses us with many good things in this life, but our best life is not now. Our best life is coming, and the Bible says it a thousand different ways. No, our best life is now. God has provided something better for us when heaven comes in all of its fullness. The saints that have died up to now are in heaven. They're in the intermediate heaven. It's just their souls. But God has not abandoned their bodies in the grave or in the sea, and one day he'll raise their bodies and the bodies and souls will come back together and they'll live when heaven and earth are one again and united. Our eternal heaven is not going to be like the angels. We're going to live in immortal, resurrected bodies on the new earth. When heaven and earth, how do we pray? Thy kingdom, come, thy will be done on earth as earth. When heaven and earth, what do we? How do we pray? Thy kingdom, come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That prayer will be answered.

Speaker 1: 37:23

Have you ever noticed the Psalms begin with the introduction in Psalms and then, starting in Psalm 3, plunge with troubles. And they got troubles. And then more troubles and Lord help me. And more troubles and Lord, praise your name, you're so good to me. And then more troubles and you go all the way. And then you get up to about Psalm 145 and all the way to the end it's nothing but pure praise. There's a celebration. It's like the end of the fireworks. That's the story of the Bible. In the middle of all that you can smell the exile in that third book of the Psalms. But that's really the whole story of the Bible. Our better life is coming.

Speaker 1: 37:59

Jesus talks about the treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. And then he goes and sells all he has to buy that field. Because that's what the kingdom of heaven is like it's worth it all. It's not that he earned it, it's that he was willing to give up everything for it because he knew how valuable it was. And Jesus also said the kingdom of heaven's like a merchant in search of fine pearls who, on finding one pearl of great value that's Christ went and sold all that he had and bought it. It's worth it all, richard Pratt used to say from Third Mill. Why do Christians Richard Pratt used to say from Third Mill? Why are Christians willing to give it all away now, in this life, whatever God calls us to do, because we get it all later with Christ? That's the clear teaching of Scripture.

Speaker 1: 38:49

The self-denial John Piper talks about, the self-denial of faith, is actually a self-denial that secures a greater joy. It maximizes our joy in the long term. Hebrews 12, verse 2,. Listen to Jesus. Listen to what he did For the joy that was set before him. He endured the cross. Christ had a heavenly mindedness as he went to the cross. Christ had a heavenly mindedness as he went to the cross. That's how you endure suffering and affliction and hardship and conflict. You have to have a heavenly mindedness. That's what gives you fuel and strength. It opens the shade and lets the light into your faith. To give you strength. You see things others can't.

Speaker 1: 39:34

Let me just end with a couple of brief things. I'd like to rip that clock right off the wall. This morning I may have mentioned to you, but I can't think of heaven without thinking of Spurgeon's sermon on one of his sermons on Cana, where the water was turned into wine representing the joy of the kingdom and so forth. But Spurgeon in that sermon says he was an 1800s preacher. My horse always trotted faster going home after the evening service. And he trotted faster after the evening service precisely because he knew he was going home. And you see, for us we're going home, christian, if we understand our Bible, yes, this is what empowers us to trot a little faster in this life, even when we have hardship, because we're going home, and we need to remember this. That's a glorious, glorious thing. Glorious, glorious thing. Let me just end with this from Bart Millard I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side.

Speaker 1: 40:43

I can only imagine what my eyes would see when your face is before me. I can only imagine, surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for you, jesus, or, in awe of you, be still? Will I stand in your presence or to my knees? Will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine. Heaven is not going to be paradise regained. It's going to be something the Bible says that no man has ever can't even imagine, because they've never seen it, not even Adam and Eve. That's how great it will be. So let's fix our eyes there and, for the joy before you, christian, take up your cross and follow Christ and glorify him, and we'll celebrate when we get home. Let's pray.