If we believe in heaven, why do we hold to this earth so tight?

Too often we make America heaven, and we don’t live with an eternal perspective, but an earthly one
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We see throughout the Scriptures that we are to lift our eyes to heaven, taking on an eternal perspective, not an earthly one
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• Hebrews 12:1-2 -- “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

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List 10 things in your life that you love
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We will come back to those later
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One thing that keeps us from wanting to leave, we hold on too tightly to this world
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Especially in America, where life is actually not too bad
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Jesus tells us multiple times that we are to let go of everything in this life
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• Hebrews 12:1 -- “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

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— throw off the sin that entangles
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• Matthew 10:37-39 -- “37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

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— love wife > Jesus ≠ worthy
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• Mark 10:29-30 -- “29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”

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— leave all for Jesus, Jesus blesses
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• Luke 9:25 -- “25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

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— gain whole world = forfeit soul
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So much of our lives are spent seeking after perishable things, where Jesus tells us to work for the eternal
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• John 6:27 -- “27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.””

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— work for eternal life Break down your week of the amount of time that is spent on things that don’t matter
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Some of it is important (hygiene, eating, sleeping, working)
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How much is taken so far to the extreme, that it is not important?
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Trophies ‌
Promotions
Social Status
Social Networking
Television/Internet
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How much is spent on eternal things?
Prayer
Bible reading
Discipling others
Gathering of God’s People
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Have we fallen in love with this world?
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• 1 John 2:15-17 -- “15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

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— do not love the world
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We are called to throw it off, and then Hebrews goes on
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• Hebrews 12:2 -- “2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

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— fix our eyes on Jesus
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Too often, we aren’t looking to Jesus, but to our own desires/life
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Jesus tells us that we are to hate our lives compared to Him, and that in doing so, we will find it
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• John 12:24-25 -- “24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

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Crazy thing: in order to find true freedom, we must become a slave to Christ
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Too many people claim that they believe in Jesus, but they don’t see the abundant life that He promises
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People will say what they think, but they will do what they believe
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Abundant life is found in Jesus, eternal life is found in Jesus, LIFE is found in Jesus
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• John 17:3 -- “3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

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— this is eternal life
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• John 6:68-69 -- “68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.””

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— You have the words of eternal life
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Is there anything on that list of 10 things that you would not give up for Jesus?
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• Matthew 16:19-22 -- “19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.””

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— Rich young ruler
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He had the key to eternal life right in front of him, but yet he missed it completely
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He allowed for his things to become a god to him
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There is a part of us that desires to be home, with Jesus
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Even creation is groaning for that time to come
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• Romans 8:23 -- “23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

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— creation groans
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• 2 Corinthians 5:4-11 -- “4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.”

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— we desire to be home
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• Philippians 1:20-28 -- “20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anyth…”

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— for me to live is Christ
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This is all easier said than done though
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Observations as to why we don’t want to go
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We are holding too tightly to this life
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We don’t truly trust Jesus that there is a better life waiting for us in the next
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We don’t truly trust Jesus that there is even a life after the next
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We don’t truly trust Jesus that living for Him is best
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We make ourselves our gods, instead of making Jesus our LORD
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• Matthew 6:19-21 -- “19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

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— treasures in heaven
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• Hebrews 11:36-40 -- “36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

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— those who died in faith
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• Romans 5:3-5 -- “3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

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— rejoice in our sufferings
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• Hebrews 12:1-2 -- “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

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— throw off, fix eyes on Jesus
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• Revelation 22:20 -- “20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

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— come Lord Jesus