Focus on Eternal things ...

Knowing we are far more valuable to Christ and knowing our Father is in control of everything, we become free to focus on eternal things instead. (Matthew Lesson 10 G)

MATT. 10:32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. MATT. 10:33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. MATT. 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. MATT. 10:35 “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; MATT. 10:36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. MATT. 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. MATT. 10:38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. MATT. 10:39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. MATT. 10:40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. MATT. 10:41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. MATT. 10:42 “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

• First, having eyes for eternity recognizes the awesome privilege we’ve been given by God to participate in the Kingdom Program
  

• We have been called by God to proclaim a message with the power to grant men and women eternal life

• Jesus says those who confess Christ in response to our message will be acknowledged by God and those who don’t, will not

• Is there any more noble, meaningful, awesome way to spend your life on earth than in the pursuit of those moments?

• You share a simple message, and depending on the response, you get to watch someone’s eternal future change before you

• Secondly, having eyes for eternity recognizes that this message will invite conflict with the world
  

  • But we’re not afraid of that conflict, and we don’t see conflict over the Gospel as a problem that we need to solve

  • We simply work in wise and innocent ways to navigate the minefields the enemy places before us, knowing opposition is inevitable

• Because if we love harmony more than Jesus, even harmony in our families, than we are not worthy to follow Him into that work
  

  • We can’t serve Him because the opposition will stop us or else we will change the message to avoid the opposition

  • Notice in v.39, Jesus says the one who foolishly tries to hold on to what they have here in this life will lose it in the end

  • But the one who lets those things go to serve Christ will find good things waiting in a life to come in the Kingdom

• Finally, eyes for eternity knows that our Father cares for us and will shepherd us and care for our needs even in the face of trials
  

  • In v.40 Jesus assures us that as someone receives our message, they are receiving Christ, and if they receive Christ, they receive the Father
    

    • What Jesus is saying is you will not go out alone…the Father will go with you and will work through you

    • From time to time we will experience success

    • Preach the Gospel often enough, and you will be rewarded with hearts that accept your message

    • And when you see that response, the Father is right there too…encouraging you and reminding you He is working through you

• In fact, the Lord honors all His workers equally and according to the same standard
  

  • When someone receives a prophet (a messenger) or a righteousness man (a godly Christian) in the name of Jesus, they will be rewarded

  • The reward isn’t salvation itself, for that comes by grace only

• The Lord is promising that those we bring to faith will share in the same inheritance that He has made available to all saints
  

  • Receiving the same message means sharing in the same inheritance in the Kingdom

  • It’s as if you carry a winning lottery card with you everywhere you go, ready to hand to anyone who would accept your message

• And in the final verse, the Lord adds that even the smallest act of kindness done in the name of the Kingdom, in the name of a disciple, gives opportunity for the Lord to reward us
  

  • The point couldn’t be clearer today…there is a cost to the Kingdom program
    

    • But it’s so small and meaningless

    • It only requires that we give up things of this world…things destined to burn up or die anyway

• But serving Christ brings opportunity for eternal gain
  

  • Such that even the smallest gesture of service to Christ in furthering that program will bring eternal reward

  • So what do you have to lose?

EPH. 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), EPH. 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, EPH. 2:7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Excerpt from Lesson 10 G from Matthew : Verse by Verse Ministries

Taught by Steven Armstrong (Focus on eternal things)

Image Credit : Same as Post "Good Intentions are not enough"

Jesus

The other gods were strong, but You were weak.

They rode, but You stumbled to your throne.

To our wounds only a wounded god can speak

And not a god has wounds but You alone.

-- anonymous poet