Life Forever |
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| Message Series - God So Loved | |
| Written by Dan Walker | |
| April 27, 2008 | |
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In our message series "God So Loved," we're looking at the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16. John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This Sunday, we come to the last phrase "but have eternal life." My message is called "Life Forever." Eternal life is life from and with God that lasts forever. Eternal life is not just something that awaits us after we die. Eternal life is a quality of life that begins in this life for the believer and then continues into eternity. Our life on this earth is but a blink of the eye in light of eternity. Your life is simply preparation for eternity. Eternity is the main event. Last Sunday, I talked about hell, the unthinkable destination. Hell is the place for self-centered people who live for themselves. The Bible tells us that most people are headed for hell. If you're a believer, one of your most important purposes in this life is to do everything you can to rescue people from going to hell. What's the alternative to hell? It's eternal life with God in a place called heaven. As horrible as hell will be, heaven is that exact opposite, it will be incredibly wonderful. Unfortunately, most people don't think much about hell or heaven. Here's what most people think heaven will be like. They think that heaven will be a place to float on the clouds, play harps and sing hymns with the angels. It sounds like a place that you'd get bored living in for a few days, let alone eternity. Given the choice, most people would rather stay right here on earth, rather than go to heaven. That's a very uninformed view of heaven and it negatively impacts people's lives here on earth. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"- Just think for a minute, Who created the earth, filled with so many wonderful things? It was God. As wonderful as the earth is, it is filled with all kinds of negative things because of the results of sin. Now God has prepared a place for us called heaven that is even more incredible than the earth we know and it has none of the damaging effects of sin. Once you understand what heaven is going to be like, you think about it more and more. Colossians 3:2 (NLT) Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. When you begin to think about heaven, you begin to live in light of eternity. God helps you to prioritize your life to live for the things that will make a difference in eternity. So today, we're going to think about heaven and blow away some of the misconceptions that people have by asking some questions. Message Audio |
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