Are We Living for Eternity — Job 19

0:01 In... Back in the seventies, before many of you were born, we had a program at this little meeting, and it was called Bible Memory Association, BME. And the Lord used that to plant a lot of Bible verses in my mind. And it was a good thing I did it then because they don't seem to plant as well anymore. And we used to get prizes for saying your memory versus to your hearer who could be some other person assigned to you and then you were a hearer for somebody else.

0:39 And I've got some still have some references and good books that I got through the BMA program. So I think it's still going on too. But one of the things I got was a whole bunch of little books about so big that were my books that I studied from and then said them from and then I put them away. Well, I recently dug some out and I I find that they're still useful and good. And one of the topics in one of the books was Christ in prophecy.

1:23 Christ in prophecy. And we we had a little bit of that this morning if you were at the first meeting. We looked at Isaiah 53. And then we looked at Matthew was it 26 or 27, I forget. Where those prophecies were fulfilled.

1:42 And I remember as a as a a young man, I was saved when I was about 18. I had hang ups about whether the Bible was true or not. And Satan used that to keep me wondering. And one of the things that I discovered was that the Bible is full of prophecies made about the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, in my study Bible, there's 45 individual references.

2:19 And there's probably more. But I, you can relax. I'm not going to try to hit all 45. Maybe 40 or so. Just kidding.

2:29 But anyway, that to me is a wonderful thing when the bible can predict and we know that certain parts of the bible are old. I think one of the first books written was Job and it's 2,000 or 3,000 years old and then to have the New Testament show us where those prophecies made were done or carried out and some of them still aren't carried out. The one that says that Christ will come and rule and reign is not quite... We haven't quite gotten that one yet, have we? But when the Bible predicts something and then carries it out, that's an excellent proof that the Bible is God's word because who else could know what was going to happen and how it would be fulfilled exactly?

3:21 And I mean, some of them are not just general like Christ shall go to Jerusalem. They weren't just like that because everybody goes to Jerusalem. There are things like you will be born in a certain place and at a certain time, and you can calculate the number of years, and it happened right when it was supposed to happen. So there... To me, fulfilled prophecy is something that we can really hang our faith on to know that this is just one of the many, many proofs that the Bible gives us, that it is the word of God and that it is trustworthy.

4:01 So this morning, I'm gonna just take a few of them and read them for you and you'll be able to see. I won't do too many, just a few to make sure that I'm accurately interpreting the scripture. First of all, I'd like to talk about Job nineteen twenty five. Job nineteen twenty five. Remember I said that was one of the oldest books.

5:13 You're on the throne of David. There it is. Isaiah nine seven says this, of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end. And upon the throne of David and over his kingdom in order to establish it with judgment and justice from that time forevermore. And the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

5:39 And we know in Luke chapter two... One and verses thirty two and thirty three, it says this, talking about Messiah. He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Now has that one already happened? No.

6:04 That one hasn't happened yet. But the Bible tells us that when Christ returns, that he shall set up his kingdom and he shall... After the... All the different times of tribulation and so forth, he will eventually set up his permanent kingdom. The third one I'd like to talk about was the birth of Jesus.

6:30 And in Micah, chapter five verse two, it says, but you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me the one up to be the ruler of Israel whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting. So that's predicting that Messiah is going to be born in Bethlehem. And Joseph went up from Galilee. He says in Luke two, several verses of Luke two, and Joseph went up from the... From Galilee to the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David.

7:22 And we know that many of the Psalms are messianic. One of the ones that just pops into my mind is Psalm 22. And if you're familiar with Psalm 22, you know it's a picture of the crucifixion. And it says that they will pierce me. They will they will do all kinds of things that are accurately predicted in the Bible.

7:48 All the things that would happen on the cross. Could Christ control... He was immobilized, And yet they gambled for his coat. They they beat him up. They did all the things that Psalm 22 predicted that would happen to him.

8:10 Another one is that he will be born of a virgin. Isaiah seven fourteen says that he will be born of a virgin. And it says, therefore, this... The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.

8:31 You know what the word Emmanuel means? God with us. So when they named... Called him Emmanuel, this is another proof that Christ is God and he is with us in the world. And of course, we know how that was carried out because Joseph at first wanted to divorce quietly his wife because she was found to be with child.

8:56 But then an angel appeared to Joseph and said, Joseph, fear not to take your wife unto you, for that which is born of hers is of the Holy Spirit. And so he was born of a virgin. It says in Psalm two seven that he would be declared to be the son of God. And this is what Psalm two seven says. I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you.

9:32 And the fulfillment of that is found in Matthew thirteen seventeen. And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. It says another interesting one in Zechariah eleven twelve. And Zechariah eleven twelve says... Here it is.

10:37 What will you give me if I deliver Jesus to you? And they counted out to him 30 pieces of sand. That's a pretty convincing. And if you're ever wondering, well how do I know the bible is true? There's a lot lot of things that God has internal and external proofs, but fulfilled scripture is one that you can keep in your mind and say look, here's what God did.

11:11 And one of the one of the proofs that a prophet is a true prophet is that what he says happens. And that was the test that Israel was to give all the people that came forth and said I'm a prophet of the Lord. They listen to him and if what he says really happens, then he's a true prophet. If what he says doesn't happen or what if he says won't happen does happen, you know he's a fake. And the prophecy of the word of God is not fake.

11:47 It's true and in fact, it's suitable for building your life upon that in someday when the Lord returns, you will be caught up together with him in the air. And you... So shall you ever be with the Lord if you have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we pray that you'll help us all to realize the truth of your word. We thank you for fulfilled prophecy which proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that you're the God of heaven and you know what's going to happen and you have prepared a place for those who love you and trust you and obey you.

12:27 In Jesus name, amen.

13:01 I had lots of thoughts to share anyways, so this is good timing. First, going off of Mr. Reiderstuck, I've had that thought many times, you know, about the truth of the scripture And the one thing that's so reassuring to me is that, first of all, I met a lot of smart people. There's a lot of smart people in this room. I've met a lot of smart people in my life, and I've yet to come up with anybody who could come up with a concept like the Trinity, a concept that is unexplainable, you know.

13:36 To me, those are things that are reassuring to me that that that can only come from God. We're not smart enough to come up with some of those things. And to put the whole story and the prophecy together and the fulfillment of those prophecies is an amazing thing for sure. With the kids we've been reading, switching back and forth between Samuel and the Gospel of John. I'd like you to turn with me to the Gospel of John please, chapter one.

13:57 I just want to share a couple of thoughts, things that I have, you know, and we've all been through this where you read things a thousand times, but then, you know, when you actually take the time to meditate on it, it... Whole new things come to light. And we're reading, in John chapter one. I just go through this quickly. I don't wanna take too much time, but the the story as we look at John the Baptist and...

14:22 Let me get my verses set up where I wanna start and finish. I should have been planned out before it came up. Right? I agree. I'm sorry.

14:57 Are you Elijah? He said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered, no. Then they they said to him, who are you that we may give an answer to those who sent us?

15:11 What do you say about yourself? And he said, once again, fulfilling prophecy, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the lord. As the prophet Isaiah said, now those who were sent were from the Pharisees, and they asked him saying, why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet? And John answered them saying, I baptize with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know.

15:40 I thought that was a very important statement. It's not just that they didn't know him, but that also is prophecy, wasn't it? That they would not know him. They would not know him. It is he who coming after me is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to lose.

15:58 These things were done in Bath, Bath Bara, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That statement there, the power of that statement, the recognition of who Jesus was, and and heard that a thousand times. But it occurred to me as we studied it and we're talking about it together with the kids that John the Baptist was probably the only person on the planet in the course of Jesus Christ's lifetime that truly understood what he was there for. Can you imagine that?

16:39 Even his disciples that walked with him and talked with him all through that time that they were with Jesus, and he told them again and again and again, I must suffer and die. I must suffer and die. I will be raised up. And all those things that he told them, they didn't fully understand. They never fully grasped what it was that Jesus was there to accomplish no matter how many times he told them.

17:02 So I thought to myself many times, how awesome would it have been to be one of those guys, to follow Jesus around, to see the miracles, to see, you know, how great would that have been to... I'm over my glasses left. Never thought I'd be that guy. But... Welcome.

17:18 I know. I know. It's not an exclusive club. I know. But but how many times have I thought, wow.

17:25 Would be so awesome to have witnessed all of those things. I think differently now. How awesome it is that we can read scripture and learn and understand and know the truth of who Jesus was and why he was here. Because I'm telling you, I'm not smart enough that I would have figured it out while he was here. I would have been among those others that had no idea, didn't get it, no clue, would have been left behind in that.

17:52 If you could turn over to John three with me. John chapter three. Very familiar. I just wanna talk about one verse because I... This is once again just sharing some thoughts that I had as I as I meditated on this a little bit.

18:06 And right after our most familiar verse, John 17 or John three seventeen, For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned. Isn't that precious thought? Right? He who believes in him is not condemned.

18:30 How wonderful it is to not be condemned and not feel condemned. He who does not believe is condemned already. There's a challenge, isn't it? If you haven't accepted Christ, you are already condemned. You're done.

18:44 Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. And this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. As I read that, I went back to verse 17. For god did not send his son in the world to condemn the world. The idea that Jesus being fully gone, being surrounded in the midst of humanity.

19:20 He knew all those things when he was in heaven. And when he was on earth, that didn't change. He knew the hearts of the people around him. He knew the sin. I mean, imagine being, you know, perfect and holy and and being around, immersed in in sin all around you, the people that were around you, the hatred, the, the awful thoughts, the impurity, the...

19:42 All those things that he was just surrounded by and knew the hearts of all those people around him. The sin there, I can't imagine was much different than in the time of Noah where god said, I've had enough. Wipe em out, right? It wasn't the sin that he was experiencing while he was on the earth and knew in the hearts and the people all around him, even his own disciples. Right?

20:05 Surrounded by that sin. And the idea that he could be there, he's immersed in that and not condemn it, not condemn the world. To me it was an incredible thing. It's just an example of the incredible loving mercy of our heavenly father. That he could be there surrounded by that and not condemn it, but wanna save it.

20:30 I just thought that was a cool thing, and I wanna share it. Thanks.

20:38 So if I were to give a title to this, it would just be this question. Are we living for eternity? Is what we're doing right now going to matter when we get to heaven? Are we setting our mind on things above or on the things around us? I say this because it's as much of a challenge for me, not only you, but me.

21:08 That's just what the Lord's been challenging me with. So, if you open your bibles to Matthew chapter 24, I've been reading about end times and how... And and the parables and illustrations that Jesus has been, giving to his disciples. Starting in verse 42, watch therefore, if you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

21:55 Therefore, you also be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master made ruler over his household to give them food in due season? Blessed is that certain... Servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

22:22 But if that evil servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming, begins to beat his fellow servants, and he eat and drink with the drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weep... Weeping and gnashing of teeth. We don't know when the lord's coming back, but are we ready for him?

22:55 Are we ready for him to come back? Next verse is first John chapter two, just one, Verse 28. And now little children, abide in him that when he appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna be ashamed when, the Lord comes back. Not at all.

24:23 And a bunch of people had out in these shirts, and it was put on the back of it, and it just so happened that those are my favorite color. And I really like looking at my favorite color, so I think that the Lord really reminded me that I need to be sitting... Setting my mind on things above and not the foolish things of this world, like, oh, what am I gonna wear? Where am I gonna gonna go to school? What am I gonna do?

24:57 I've been noticing lately also that time's really flown. My summer's kinda gone. It seems like yesterday I graduated trying to get a job, going going to college in a week. But the Lord is reminding me that we have a limited time on earth. In Psalm 90, Moses is speaking of how...

25:30 He first speaks of how how god is eternal and how great he is, and then he's speaking of how frail and how short our lives are as human beings. This is verse 10. The days of our lives are seventy years. And if by reason of strength, they are eighty years. Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away.

26:06 Are we making our time on this earth count? Am I making my time on this earth count? I remember a thing, Christian Eichler told me. Our lives are only as as big as that dash that's in between the two numbers on your headstone. That's...

26:28 It's just fleeting. Our time on Earth is is... It's so small compared to eternity. And I'd like to end on this idea. Last semester, last senior year in high school, I read, The Great Divorce by CS Lewis.

26:48 And one of the ideas or themes he brings out is, if we're... When we're up in heaven, you look back at our time on Earth, as eternity goes on, it gets smaller and it gets smaller and it gets smaller. Are we gonna make that time that gets smaller count for eternity? Thank you.

27:25 Thank you, brother Devin. Open your bibles to acts chapter two. So how do we make our short time count? Thanks, Devin. That was awesome.

27:41 I know we're all... God spoke. Right? Not just through a young boy, but god spoke. Those are scriptures.

28:07 And I asked for for her testimony, and she says, oh, they just already did them. Imagine that me coming in late. So, the the testimonies they did with video, like, was, about 30 people getting baptized. And I says, well, here's here's the camera. I wasn't here.

28:26 Why are you getting baptized? And little Natalie says, I'm getting baptized to publicly declare that I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. It was beautiful. So what can we do? I I I present before you the five pillars of our faith, simplicity in the book of Acts after salvation.

28:52 So we'll start in verse 41. So then those who had received his word... This is Pentecost. Peter preaches that Jesus Christ is lord. God made him both lord and Christ as Jesus who was...

29:05 Whom you crucified. So then those who had received his word were baptized, and they were added that day about 3,000 souls. So first, we get saved. We believe the message of the gospel. This is how we count for eternity.

29:20 Second, we get baptized in water because that's what people do, who believe God's message. Now what should we do? And I I think there's five simple things the whole book of Acts teaches. Verse 42 has four of them. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' doctrine or teaching.

29:40 That word doctrine is scary sometimes. It just means they're teaching. And to fellowship, and in the original language it's to the fellowship. So they devoted themselves continually to the word of God, specifically the New Testament. Number two, the fellowship.

30:00 And what does the fellowship mean? Look down to verse 44. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common. And apparently that word is the same word as fellowship, that word common. So, when there was a need, the next couple verses talk about meeting the needs of the people of God.

30:21 So that's devoting yourselves to the fellowship, to one another. And if you go back to verse 42, the third thing is to dedicate, continually devote ourselves to the breaking of bread. That's the Lord's Supper. And number four, we dedicate, we continually devote ourselves to prayer. So Devin...

30:43 God used Devin to give us a great, exhortation, challenge, reminder, eternity is coming soon. Poor Robin Williams, right? Nothing to count for eternity unless he was a true believer. It doesn't seem it doesn't seem that he was, but but we can make eternity count, and it's not too late. We can restart again if we haven't been, if we've been drifting, if we've been lukewarm or whatever.

31:11 We can continually devote ourselves to the word of God. Apostle's doctrine. Let me encourage you brothers and sisters. Jesus said in the story of Martha and Mary, Mary and Martha, And it's one of my favorite stories. I've shared it a number of times here.

31:25 But just a quick reminder that Jesus, the conclusion as Mary... As Martha is running frantic, trying to serve the Lord. She wasn't doing evil thing. She was serving the Lord. Jesus had come into her house.

31:35 She was so excited in one sense, but she was really in the flesh. And it says she was worried, bothered about so many things. Bible says she was distracted. The Bible says that she thought Jesus didn't care. The bible says that she was in a comparative mode thinking she had to earn the lord's favor.

31:55 She was comparing herself. Tell tell my sister to do... To help me. Look at all that I'm doing, basically, is what she was saying. And she, and again, she was serving the Lord, but Jesus corrects her lovingly.

32:11 Martha, Martha, you're worried and bothered about so many things, but really only one thing is necessary. And Martha has chosen that. It won't be taken from her. Or Mary has chosen that. It won't be taken from her.

32:25 Well, what was Mary doing? Sitting in his feet listening to his word. Brothers and sisters, the greatest thing we can do is to get back into the scriptures. And we're all... We all need to get in it more.

32:39 So wherever you're at, if you haven't picked it up for two weeks, a month, or or ever, or if you're in it every day, Jesus said, the king of the universe, gave a message that day and only one person on the planet knows that message, Mary. She knows what the Lord said. She was sitting at his feet listening to his word. Sitting in his feet listening to his word. May that be the encouragement how we can really count for eternity.

33:05 Take more time, specifically in the New Testament. My challenge would be to start in Matthew and just go through the whole New Testament chapter by chapter till you get through Revelation. Do it again and again and again and again. As the Lord leads, of course, add in Old Testament. I'm not saying that's not the word of God, but apostles' doctrine, they devoted themselves continually.

33:23 The fellowship, need to be together whenever we can with believers. But not only just being together, it's actually ministering to the needs of others. And that's materially as you read through this, but specifically for the body of Christ that had the needs. And so many needs outside of this fellowship. There's in this fellowship, but we're not just the body of Christ, are we?

33:45 It's bigger than that. So search out how you can give and give and give and give and give more time and prayer. The third thing is the breaking of the bread. If you're a believer, you need to be here. The Lord wants you.

33:57 He never says to stay away unless you're not willing to deal with your sin. But even then his plea is to still deal with your sin and come. Remember me and what I've done. Come, partake, turn from your sins. And I encourage, I know the elders would, we would all say, come and enjoy the Lord's presence and remember what he's done for you and cry and weep because we've fallen so far short.

34:21 We do live for this world instead of eternity so many times. We do make mistakes, but repent, turn from those things, and partake of the Lord's supper. And the fourth thing to dedicate ourselves to is prayer. So individually, we need to be here on Wednesday nights at 07:00. I won't be this week.

34:38 I'll be out of town. But but I encourage... I know we need to be together in prayer. Time is so short. Devin, you know, made some great thought...

34:47 Gave us some great thoughts. The Lord's return could happen today. It's so near. Be here at prayer. Organize your organize your day, your life around these.

34:57 Don't try and fit these into your life. Unfortunately, I've got a family member just yesterday. He's struggling. And I I says, well, you're be in church tomorrow? He says, oh, no.

35:07 He works five days a week, and he says a friend of mine asked me to help him, and I can use the more money. And I'm thinking to myself, wrong choice. Wrong choice. You need to dedicate yourself to being first, and then fit your time and your life and everything else into your real schedule, Acts two forty two. And the fifth thing would just be the whole rest of the book of Acts.

35:28 How can we make our life count for eternity? Well, what's the whole book of the whole rest of the book of Acts about? Being a witness. Being a witness, being a witness for the lord Jesus. Just giving our lives to telling others, praying for others.

35:44 That's what it's all about. The lord Jesus is coming soon. Let's pray. Maybe if one of the brothers would like to close in prayer,

36:01 that'd good.

36:28 We thank you for the instruction on how we might do it. For the help of the Holy Spirit and for all that you've you've done for us. Thank you for these things and pray now as you go. In your son's name.

36:42 To God be the glory, great things.