Living between Eternities
Just the other night Gina and I were watching "Broken Trail," a western on the AMC channel. During the show the two leading cowboys had to perform a funeral for a young oriental girl. The main character's words caught my interest. He said, "We live between eternities." I told my wife, that would make a great sermon illustration. Now, I don't want anyone to think that I believe in some kind of pre-existence. We live this life only once, and then we face judgment. The reality is that we only have a little while. I Peter states that we are like grass, green today and gone tomorrow! James tells us that our lives are like a puff of steam or a cloud that quickly disappears in the heat of the sun. All of us will die, and most of us will die sooner than we realized or even wanted to!
So we must live our lives in view of eternity. What awaits us is far greater than what we experience today. Yet, how we live today can have a profound impact upon the eternal. Refusing to accept Christ as Lord and Savior is short-sited and deadly. Failing to live fully for Christ will be a cause for shame and loss at the Judgment seat. Our lives are quickly passing us by. Let us all live for his glory!
4 comments:
That is such a great idea - Getting a sermon idea from a movie. It has opened up a whole new world of sermon ideas for me.
A sermon on righteousness and sin called "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." A stewardship series, "A Fistfull of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More." A special message on the judgment entitled "Hang Em High."
Thanks for the inspiration! Now if I can only find a text to match my subject. :)
Billy,
Sorry, but Malcolm Ellis has already beaten you to the first one - I have on tape his sermon, The Good, the Bad, and The Goofy!
Collin
I agree we do have, or possess eternal life in Christ Jesus right now. The abundant life is an aspect of the eternal life. We can live abundantly because of all Christ has done for us.
Collin
There you go, getting theological on me. First, we have eternal life. Abundant life is a description of the "eternal kind" of life that we have here and now. A quality of life. We are in the kingdom and must press into the kingdom daily in order to possess this abundant/eternal kind/quality of life - so we can live the victorious Christian life (normal Christianity). Second, we have eternal life - life that will be for eternity with Christ - in Heaven.
Question. How close can a Christian live the eternal kind of life (abunandt here and now) to the Heavenly eternal life?
Thought: Think about Enoch. He walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. Can a person walk so close to Jesus that he never misses a step with Him?
Another question. There are going to be numerous surprises when we get to heaven - no doubt. But, can a Christian live so close and walk so close to Jesus that we are not surprised by His presence when we get to heaven?
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