Sermon Central
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Thankful For The Invisible
Contributed by Gary Holt on Nov 18, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: We need an eternal perspective.
“Thankful for the invisible”
I want this message to answer this QUESTION:
How can I be thankful when everything seems to be falling apart?
How can you and I be thankful about things in the world:
? With what is happening in Ukraine?
? about Israel?
? about the economy?
? About the collapse of the family?
? about the moral bankruptcy of society?
? about the apathy in the hearts of Christians?
How can I be thankful?
- when there is sickness in my family
- when prices keep going up and my income doesn’t
- when I am discouraged
- when my health is failing…
- when my marriage is on the rocks
- when I am depressed and anxious…
If you ever feel this way, you are not alone….
Perspective is everything:
? The Apostle Paul wrote the book Philippians at a time
? when he was suffering in prison, when he was weary and
? wondered if he might soon lose his life for Christ.
Hear what Pauls says…in the midst of affliction…
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)
The Bible teaches us:
- that we need to have a unique perspective
- a perspective higher and longer than the world
- to see things in the light of eternity
We need aim our lives toward the eternal:
o and see all that is ahead of us and
o in store for us.
o To invest in God’s eternal Kingdom…
Jeremy Camp sings a song I love called:
“There will be a day”
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place,
Will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
There will be a day, He'll wipe away the tears,
He'll wipe away the tears, He'll wipe away the tears
We must not be distracted:
? by the physical distractions of the world
? that have no eternal value…
? and earthly treasures that will soon be burned up.
We can place our hopes in our finances:
- but finances cannot fix everything
- even the rich can go bankrupt quickly
- money often fails us
We can place our hope in good health:
- Good health one day is no guarantee of continued health
- loved ones can be taken from us
- life is such that if Jesus does not return
- that no of us will leave this world alive….
- health fails
We can place our hopes in the people around us:
- people we trust, love and sacrifice
- may fail us, pass on or betray us.
- People fail.
That is why the God tells us:
- don’t invest yourself too heavily in this world
- look to Jesus your savior
- be passionate about the return of Christ!
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
The definition of eager is:
- marked by enthusiastic
- or impatient desire or interest
Children get eager for things:
- Christmas, birthdays,
- trick or treating, an
- ice cream cone
They are eager for things they expect to be amazing:
- do we have that kind of energy for eternal things?
What are you eagerly awaiting?
- a concert or meal?
- a date with someone?
A mark of maturity:
- is when we turn our attention from this world
- and put our time talents and treasures
- to work for God’s kingdom….
Today’s main text is from Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV):
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we (eagerly) await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
WHAT WE NEED IS A NEW PERSPECTIVE…
- TO SEE THINGS AS FROM ETERNITY’S VIEWPOINT…
Describe Alisyn in truck:
- 3 years old
- always rode in the car seat in the back seat of the family car
- but she loved
Alisyn when she was little:
- like to to ride in my rusty, small old Ford Courier truck
- because she could see better!
o Upfront, facing forward and look out all the windows…
- She could see what she was missing.
A change of perspective can transform your world?
What is your perspective?
- earthly or heavenly?
- temporal or eternal?
- the disappointments of earth or the rewards of heaven?
