There is something. That all of you are.
Giving right now. That is actually.
Your most precious resource, I see some of you Bibles opened,
no doubt some of you. Have the.
Journal and the pen ready to give what everyone is after in
your life, and that is in fact your attention.
So I thank you. For the gift of your.
Attention that you've already given and I want to talk about
the importance. Of what you give your.
Attention to and the. Value that it is Listen to this.
Quote It struck me and it got my attention.
I hope it does for you the most valuable commodity of the 21st
century. Will.
Be undivided attention in an age of constant distraction.
Humans Human focus is the ultimate.
Scarce resource this. Attention economy means everyone
is competing to monetize your focus, making it more valuable
than oil or data. It's more valuable than anything
you have, because what you give your attention to does in fact.
Tell you what you give your life.
To and. The.
Design of what we're doing right now.
What the What the Bible has the power?
To do with the the teachings and the words.
Of Jesus have the power to do. Is to refocus your attention on
what really matters. So I want you to think about
just the. The last week of your life.
From last Sunday to now, what was something that.
Actually got a hold of your? Attention, everything was
competing and certainly you gave it away.
But will will this last week of your life?
Have anything? That shapes your life.
And as you think about your answer, I will tell you the
moment in my previous seven days that grabbed my attention.
I was just going about my day and my phone rang and it was a
name on my screen that I hadn't heard from in a long time.
And I thought, I wonder why they're calling me.
So I answered the phone and the voice on the other end simply.
Asked is this? Still your number.
And I said it sure is. And he goes OK, great.
At my age, it's time for me to go through my phone contacts
list and see who's still alive and who isn't.
And I'm at the tease so. It's good to hear your voice.
I said, my goodness, I'm glad I got the answer.
And then he said something that got my attention.
He said. Hope you make the most.
Of the rest of your time. Have a good night.
And I thought, that's a phone call that I'll remember for a
long time. It reminded me, it got my
attention to remind me that my time is a resource that's
limited and I only have so much of it.
And there's coming a day when someone will call my phone and
it will ring and I won't answer. And that's.
True of your life as well. And the point.
Of all of that. Is we are going to.
Look at a story today. In the Gospel of Luke, where
Jesus is going to grab people's attention to refocus their
entire lives to answer the question, what are you truly
living for? Because there's coming a day
when your days. Will be over.
There's coming today when all of the things that grab your
attention that just turned into the routines of life and and
the. Days pass by so fast.
And they add up so quick and and you'll look back on a week and
you'll think, what did I give my life to?
And by the grace. Of God.
Every once in awhile something comes across the news feed or
something happens in your life where your attention is lifted
to the here and now and it's lifted to the then.
There's coming a day when you run out of time, and Jesus wants
all of our attention right now to help us think about our
destiny and all of this. What are?
We actually living for your attention determines your life
and your life is limited So with that in mind, this is our
journey to the. Cross with Jesus we're going to
look at. Another parable, another story.
Where Jesus? Is going to challenge his
audience, as he often does, getting their attention to
determine what they're living for.
So if you have your. Bibles open, if you're still
with me. Thus far, Luke chapter 16 is
where we're going to be, and we're going to jump right into a
story that Jesus is going to tell.
To help. People understand what really
matters and as always throughout this.
Series we've been. Studying the words of Jesus in
ways that. Require your.
Attention, we are not looking at easy sayings or parables and
stories that you can just look at and move on.
Because they're so. Easy to understand once again.
We'll look at a. Parable that requires some
thinking. What?
Is Jesus talking about the? Story.
Will start in verse 19. We'll go through it and at the
end. I I.
Hope to have your attention still so that we can.
Have Jesus. Remind us what's worth living
for. It starts in verse 19 when he
says. There was a.
Certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and
fared sumptuously. There's a nice word.
Every day but there was a. Certain beggar named.
Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, the.
Rich man's gate desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from
the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and
licked. His sores.
Let's stop there. This is.
The the introduction of a very important story Scene 1 is
introducing 2 very extremely different lives.
We have a rich man and a beggar and he's going to give us 2
extremely different profiles starting with a rich man.
How do we know he's rich other than the fact?
That Jesus states it. Plainly, he also gives 3 very
clear indicators. Of the good life, there were
indicators that his. Audience would have understood
2000 years ago and nothing's really changed.
He tells us that the. Rich man had three things that
all of us measure the good life by.
He told us what the man wore, what the man ate and where the
man lived. So if you're scrolling social
media and your attention is drawn to the good life online,
you're going to. See the good life as.
Presented in What people wear, What they eat, and Where They
Live. And what did this man wear?
He says he wore clothes of purple.
And. Purple was a a an.
Indicator of someone who had great wealth.
Because it was a. Dye that was very expensive,
hard to come by and. Only people who could, really.
Afford such. A color could could wear purple.
And it says that he had linens underneath.
So both of these are examples of an outfit, an exterior that
anyone could look in and say, well, that man.
Has a good life. And again, not much has changed.
We have in our day as in all days.
Certain ways that you can. Present yourself and people can
size you up and look at you and say he must do well.
Someone might. Wear a a a a suit that says
Gucci somewhere. On it and there are other brands
that I don't know. Gucci is the extent of my
fashion knowledge, which tells you how much I know about.
The good life but. Certainly you go into the malls
of this world and you'll see all sorts of designer stores that.
Offer you a way to. Present yourself as well off and
it's. It tells us what he eats, says
that he. Fared sumptuously every day,
faring. Sumptuously is a a.
Description that we don't always use, but it essentially means
that he ate in luxury and the. Keyword to this is every.
Day, this will not be the first time that we can.
Look back at last week's study of the prodigal.
Son and see a direct contrast or a reference point.
This was a a contrast to the prodigal son's return.
They ate sumptuously. They threw a grand feast and it
was a once in a lifetime celebration.
When the lost or found you spare no expense you.
Kill the fatted calf you. Dress the sun in robes.
But it's not every day. That's what made it special.
This man eats. Sumptuously as his lifestyle.
And by very nature. Of the addresses that we.
All must live in to. Get to this part of the world,
we have pretty good diets. For most people looking from the
outside in. The the diet.
Of the modern American is somewhat sumptuous, so I hope
you're paying attention. And then it tells.
Us where he. Lives says in verse 20 there was
a certain beggar and we'll get to his profile, but notice where
the. Beggar was situated.
At the rich man's gate. So if you aren't tracking so
far, we now have maybe the best indicator that this man.
Had a life set apart as good because of his address.
This was a gate that would. Adorn a wealthy area or home.
The gate is used to separate the haves.
And the have nots even to this day.
Some of you might be blessed enough or or have enough
provision to. Provide yourself.
With an address inside the gate and for the rest of us, we're on
the outside looking in. And if you can't relate to the.
The address that lives. Beyond the gate, If any of you
have ever travelled and coached, then you saw the curtain that.
Closed to separate the. Haves and the have nots.
The first class. From the the economy class and I
long for even sometimes just to peek beyond the first class
just. To see what they're.
They're eating in there. It's it's a representation that
our world can be divided at times between rich and poor.
And that's what Jesus is presenting us.
I want you. To see a portrait of.
Extremely good living. And now he's going to give us a
portrait of the other extreme, verse 20.
But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus.
Full of sores who was laid in his gate.
So in this we have not only a measure.
Of a good life. We also have a measure of a
burdened life, a man that where does.
Where's his address at the gate? On the outside looking in.
He's a beggar, the. Opposite of rich is someone who
has to ask for handouts and what does he wear?
What is the the attire that he's known by?
Just as sure as you can see someone's Gucci and see they're
rich, you can also see someone's outer sores and just the burden
of their broken body and see that they are in troubled state.
Jesus is. Clearly giving us a portrait of
two extreme lives. And then it says.
That he was. Desiring to be fed with crumbs,
one man has a feed that could be seen by all that is eating at
the five star restaurants and feasting every day.
And another man. Just waits for the scraps that
are leftover. Hoping that maybe the rich man's
trash becomes his treasure. Because even what the rich man
throws away. This beggar would accept as.
Better than anything that he has and goes on to say.
Moreover, the dogs came and licked his.
Sores as if the portrait of two. Extreme lives is not clear
enough. We now have a man that is so
downtrodden in such a horrible earthly.
State that the best. Comfort he can get comes from
animals and this is a. Storytelling device that we've
seen. Previously the prodigal son at
his lowest point before the turn of the story.
Where was he? He was in the pigsty feeding
pigs and hoping just to have some of the share of the meal of
the pigs and no one gave him anything.
We have the portrait. Of the lowest of life.
And the portrait. Of the highest of life.
And yet there is one thing this. Poor beggar.
Has that the rich man doesn't and it will be an indicator
that. Jesus is asking.
For your attention to see things differently than you normally
do. The one thing the beggar has is
a name. The rich man is adorned in
riches and he's completely anonymous.
And one of the themes of the Bible is one thing we long for
in our in our wealth in our in our human ingenuity and all of
our of our our human feats is to make a name that would reach the
heavens. And yet this man is anonymous
and the the man at the very bottom is named Lazarus.
Now the name that Jesus chose chose is interesting because
Lazarus translated means. God.
Is my help and this is. Where Jesus is asking.
For the attention of his audience.
Because if the story stops here. This would be a.
Wild. Person, to name God, is my help
in all of our perspective and views on who's blessed and who
isn't. What we normally think of as the
person that God is helping is the person that clearly has some
earthly success. We're used to the.
Person standing on stage receiving the their reward and
their accolades and saying all glory to God and we're like,
that's awesome. We're used to the athlete.
Giving the post game interview saying it's all the the.
This is all. Because of God's goodness in my
life. And we think, Yep, he's so
blessed. We're not used to.
We don't have a reference point for the homeless man receiving a
small piece of bread and then giving a speech that says.
All glory to God. God is my help, we think.
OK, Pray for this man. He's delusional.
If God was your help, why would your life be like this?
And this is where Jesus is going to teach us to have an attention
that goes beyond earth. This could be one of the most
important moments in some of your.
Lives if. All you can see is.
Earth. The story stops here.
And it's no doubt who you want to be in the story.
There's no doubt who someone who does not have a.
Perspective for life that goes. Beyond life.
Would choose if you were. Picking the life.
That you were allotted. And yet Jesus says Lazarus is
named. God is my help.
And it only makes sense if the story continues.
So let us proceed into the next verse. 22 Scene 2.
Scene 1. Introduction of two men with two
extremely different lives. Scene 2.
Same men, 2 extremely different deaths.
So it was that the beggar died. And was carried by the angels to
Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was
buried and being in torments in. Hades, he lifted up his.
Eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.
Jesus, once again, is going to, if you will, allow him.
Take your. Presuppositions and your
perspectives and completely turn them on their head.
We have two men. Who will face what we all?
Face the attention of the morning is to remind you to do
the best with the time you have left and God knows the appointed
day when your days will end and death.
Will be the great. Equalizer of this whole
sanctuary, every one of us. No matter what's in your bank
account, no matter what ailment you deal with.
Death. Will equalize all of us the.
Story will then continue into what?
Eternity says about your earthly life.
And according to this story, what people may have been
assuming. About how people will be
rewarded. As it completely is told, on
Earth is going to be flipped upside down.
He's speaking to an audience that assumed that God blesses on
earth as a preview to heaven, and yet it is the poor man who
is carried away by angels into Abraham's bosom.
I want you to just hold that question that you have.
What does that mean? Jesus is once again telling a
story about a feast. Abraham is the.
Host of this feast. And the seat of honor.
The place. Where someone could sit so.
Close. To Abraham that they're leaned
against his chest goes to a man that was once licked by dogs and
the man who was rich purple linens address food and feast is
now afar off and it says his position is not of feasting he's
in torment he's in utter misery of the life that is now being
sealed from time into eternity and in this we now.
Have a story? That will turn into not only
different deaths, but different destinies your life.
Has a. Destiny, the decisions you make
on Earth. Will be held.
From time into eternity and the story will continue.
To get. All of our attention there's
coming a day when. Your life will be.
Cemented based off the decisions that you made.
And we know this because in his torment, in his misery, in his.
Frustration that his life. Has been flipped upside down.
Look what he says in verse 24. Father Abraham, have mercy, Send
Lazarus that he may. Dip the tip of his.
Finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in
this flame. He, he is.
Working under the presupposition that life in eternity is like
life on earth, he once gave. Orders to beggars.
He once had servants that would bring him food and now he looks
at Lazarus and says send him to bring me some water.
But that's not how eternity is going to play out.
There's so many people that can be removed from the success of
life and can't unwire their precisions of success.
You can remove the king from the throne, but you cannot remove
the throne from the heart of a self willed king.
God may bring you to your knees and humble you and all you can
think about is rebuilding your previous empire.
And now the lesson of eternity. The the the answer that Abraham
will give him verse 25 Abraham said son, remember that in your
lifetime you received your good things and likewise Lazarus evil
things, but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
Now the script has been flipped. Notice what father Abraham says
to the rich man. He says son.
It's. Almost as if we have an
alternative ending. To the.
Feast of the Prodigal Son The prodigal son represented an
earthly. Feast.
With an invitation for those who are on the outside to come back
in The prodigal son. Gave us a picture of a father.
Pleading with a son. All that I have is.
Yours don't be angry that I've given a feast to the one that
was lost. Come in and.
Enjoy while there's still. Time come in and enjoy and you
read a chapter ahead and we have another father pleading with a
son and this time he says in your lifetime you had everything
that was good. In your lifetime, you made your
decision to make your wealth. Your reward?
And in your lifetime, you have cemented time into eternity.
And this is. Why?
Jesus rightfully said in Luke chapter 6.
Woe to you who are rich, for you have received.
Your consolation. Maybe the NLT says it with more
strength. Woe.
What sorrow? Awaits you who are rich, for you
have your. Only happiness.
Now this message is not to condemn riches.
How can I say that? Because Father Abraham is.
Lauded as the guest or the host of the feast.
Abraham was the Daddy Warbucks of the Old Testament.
He was blessed beyond measure, and he used his blessing to step
into the promises of God by. Faith This is a.
Warning of not living by the faith of Abraham, but by living
of the promises and the rewards of.
Earth alone. That's why Jesus says careful,
woe sorrow to you who are rich. Now and enjoy it because this.
Will be your reward. If your only attention if your
only. Focus is for Earth.
Enjoy, enjoy the time that you. Have left.
If all you can think through is receiving what you have and
enjoying it and using it, all for your comfort and all for
your feast and all for your own delight, and you can pay no
attention to those. Outside the gate.
And you'd have no view. Of how all of that.
Is going to honor God for eternity enjoy it because
there's coming a day when time will be cemented into eternity
and your reward will. Be that you had.
Some joy and pleasure and comfort in a little window of
time that you were a king on earth.
And I'll remind you, he says. Not only did the rich man have
his comfort on earth. But Lazarus suffered evil.
What an interesting thing to say about.
Lazarus. The one who?
Was helped by God, he said. Lazarus.
Went through all of the sufferings of earth and endured.
And some of you need to hear that message.
No doubt some of you relate more to Lazarus, a position where you
feel. Like you're just.
Needing the provisions of God, and your hand is open and you're
hoping that God provides. You've got the sores of earth,
the afflictions, the trials, the difficulties.
And I'll remind you the great hope that.
We have. For the person of Lazarus, he
said he was tormented on Earth and now?
He is greatly. Comforted, hear the words of.
Jesus. This is not a fire and brim,
some message of doom. It is a message.
To say there is. Nothing that this Earth can
throw at you that eternity will not outweigh.
With glory there's there's no sore or difficulty or earthly
address that is so poor or or so outside of the.
Popular halves and and the ones on the in crowd.
There's no position on earth that you cannot endure that will
not be completely flipped on its head in heaven.
And so he says as a reminder to us all.
He says, Jesus says, I hope I have your.
Attention now because I want you to use the time you have to make
the decision you can about eternity.
Before it arrives, look what? Abraham goes on to say, Besides
all this, between US and you, Abraham saying, between me and
Lazarus and you, rich man, there is a.
Great gulf that is fixed there. There's a, There's a.
Canyon between life and death in the.
Afterlife there, there's a. Canyon between joy and torment.
And it's fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you
cannot, nor can those from there.
Pass to us he. Says time has been cemented into
eternity. Ecclesiastes says it's better to
go. Into a House of mourning than
than that of feasting, because death is the end of us all, and
the living can. Still take it to heart.
The psalmist says teach us to number our days.
May I have attention on the clock of my life?
Because the way I live. Determines my destiny and
there's coming a day where you will be out of time.
And so now the rich man hearing the message.
That the Gulf is the. Chasm is too wide, he says.
Well, wait a minute. I have 5 brothers.
And they're walking towards the same Canyon.
Verse 27 The rich man. Says I beg you therefore.
Father talking to Abraham, that you would send him to my.
Father's house I have 5 brothers that he.
Lazarus may testify to them, lest they also come to this
place of torment. Abraham said to him, They have
Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.
Jesus is making it very clear that what can be known of God's
plan of redemption? The heart and the character.
Of God. The great commandment to love.
God and love people has. Been.
Revealed through scripture. Why would anything change?
The rich man says in verse 30? No, father Abraham, if if one
goes to them from the dead, they will repent, Abraham said.
If they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither.
That will they be persuaded? The one rise from the dead.
Do you see that? Prophetic vision that Jesus has.
For those who would still. Reject him.
He tells the story of a man that thought it wasn't enough that
God gave his word and he fulfilled his.
Promises that the law. And the prophets all pointed to
the coming Messiah. That wasn't enough.
But what would be enough would be another miracle if one could
come back from the grave and warn people.
And the sad reality is one has come back from the grave.
It's a great reality, It's the most joyful reality that the.
The Son of God has been declared by the.
Power of the resurrection. That the resurrection.
Has opened your eyes and given you revelation to who?
God is. And yet here we sit.
Like 5 brothers dead. In their merriment, feasting,
enjoying the pleasures of earth. And there's nothing that a
miracle can do to open their eyes.
Jesus is trying to grab your attention so that you would.
See the truth of what is worth. Living for And so I told you to
hold on to your theological questions, because this is.
Of course, a story that gives us a.
Vision of the. Afterlife that stirs.
In US lots of wonderings that we've probably all.
Thought. And of course, if anyone had
details of the mechanics of life.
After death, it would be. Christ, the King of.
Glory, the Lord of. Heaven and earth.
But before we do a breakout. Session about everything that
could be known about heaven from this parable.
Let me just say the point of the parable is not to give us a math
equation on what happens in the details in the seconds.
After you die, it's. Plain that as he's telling these
stories, there's something much more important than the
mechanics and the. Logic that we so.
Often get distracted by in the plain story in the truth that's
being offered. So questions that may be
stirring. What does he mean by Abraham's
bosom? Is that something that still
happens? Is that Old Testament vision and
and now we have New Testament theology.
What is? Is there a?
Pool where someone can actually share water from beyond the
grave. Can you actually see heaven from
hell? These are things that could come
up as questions in this story and let me give you my answer.
I don't know. I'm interested in much more
important questions while I have your attention.
That will stir in you a much more important focus for your
life now. So here are things that are
plainly being shared. By Jesus, so that we.
Don't minor in the majors, but look at the plain things as the
main things. And here's something that if we
want to. Study the Gospel of Luke.
And look at the hard sayings of Jesus.
As to reject a cultural Jesus that is is just.
Telling everyone to just be nice and do whatever they want.
He's just one of many voices We we have a very important lesson
from this story. Jesus himself is teaching a
story where he is telling us that heaven and hell.
Are real, there is life. Beyond this earthly existence
and there are two destinations. There is a heavenly feast, Jesus
time and time again without getting into the Technicolor of
what heaven is actually going to look like.
He says it's like the biggest feast you could ever.
Imagine and the most unlikely. People will be there by God's
grace. And there's a tormenting fire.
And without getting into the details, we can see that it is
misery. Jesus.
Taught that heaven and. Hell were real.
Destinations for the human soul and let me just share with you
that that is great news because right now I can preach good news
that not if but when you suffer not if but when you go through
the. Trials of Earth that shake you
to your core. And you live in close proximity.
Who? Someone who goes beyond this
earthly existence. There is a theology.
Given us to, given to. Us by the word.
Become flesh. That says there's hope, David.
Says in the Psalms. I would have lost hope.
If I didn't believe. That I would see the.
Goodness of God in the land of the living.
Paul says that my light and momentary afflictions, my bodily
sores, my heartache, my tears are light and they're momentary
because they're time bound and they don't compare.
To the weight of eternal glory. Which is unending.
There is no hope without a heaven, but because there is a
heaven there. Is eternal hope that this story.
Is not the end. The real.
Question that this should stir in us the questions that would
would not be a waste of time to consider with the.
Focus that you have. On your life right now, Why did
one person go towards torment and the other go towards
feasting? This is.
This is the. Question that Jesus stirs in US
and the first answer I think that we can see from this story
and from the collection of stories that Jesus has been time
and time again telling on this road to Jerusalem to to the.
Cross is that unless God? Is your primary devotion.
You actually won't want the Kingdom of God, and unless the
greatest commandment is fulfilled in your heart and your
mind to love God above everything else, the Kingdom of
heaven will not be worth sitting on the outside.
Of the gate. With an open hand like.
A beggar Jesus says the. Kingdom belongs to the poor in
spirit in this same chapter. The lead up to Jesus.
Telling this. Parable, which is always.
Giving us. Clues as to what he's.
Getting at he says in verse 13, no servant can serve 2 masters.
For either he will hate. The one or love?
The other or else he will be loyal to the.
One and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
And again, doesn't mean you can't have money, doesn't mean
God can't bless. You to.
Use your money to. Care for people that are outside
the gate. Abraham, as a vision of this,
had plenty of money. This is not a condemnation
against money, but he is saying if money becomes your God, enjoy
it because you can't serve the Kingdom and your Kingdom.
So one of the lessons that we're going to continually get stirred
in US is. Where?
Does your attention lie? Is your attention fully devoted
to the kingdoms of Earth? Or.
When time gets tough, or when the blessings come and there's
abundance. Or do you have such a vision for
heaven that nothing is actually yours on earth?
The other lesson that seems to be coming from this not only
will we be. Judged by our love for God.
But we will be judged. In the second commandment.
Which is just like it, our love for people.
Jesus says the. Greatest commandment, what he's
come to fulfill in the Law and the Prophets.
Is that we would love God with. Everything in US and the second,
which is like it. We would love our neighbor as
our self. And with that lens you can
understand the. Parables with that.
Lens, we understand the Good Samaritan.
He loved this Samaritan, this this man who was beaten.
As though he loved himself. With that lens, we can
understand why. Jesus says don't just.
Invite your friends to a feast, but invite all of the maimed and
the blind and the broken. I want you to love your
neighbor. Just like you'd love yourself.
And with that lens, we can understand what.
Jesus was. Doing by putting Lazarus right
at the gate. The rich man wanted mercy in the
afterlife and he never extended it on Earth.
Which means if you really. Do love God if He really
captures your heart. If he really gives you new life
with new lens, you can't walk over people on the way to
heaven. I was moved by this quote.
By Alistair Begg he says how? Can I see my brother in need and
claim that I love God and yet do nothing?
If God's heart is for the. Poor and the downtrodden and the
blind and the beaten and the broken.
Then my indifference doesn't work and this is the true danger
for my soul in a sterilized, self satisfied, evangelical,
cliche ridden American. Subculture that offers worship
without. Mercy.
As long as we hang around with one another long enough, we can
convince one another that we're all in good standing by the
nature of our standing worship. After all, 1500 people together
on a Sunday couldn't all be wrong.
Oh yeah, we can. We could.
All fall into the category of someone who enjoyed their status
and their comfort and their wealth and their food and their
addresses and their clothes so much.
That we've lost sight of. A Kingdom that's worth dying
for. And so the, the encouragement,
there's encouragement for us now I want all of you to know.
Where your. Destiny is, and here's.
The The Joy of the. Morning is that he told him.
You know, even if someone rose from the grave, some people
wouldn't. Believe if they reject.
The Law and the Prophets. I know that some people, maybe
even someone I'm talking to right now.
Is is. Holding back from fully devoting
to God because he just hasn't quite proved himself to you
enough. If you just saw.
A radical miracle? If you could get a.
Vision of a burning. Bush if you had a.
Loved one that has gone before you, that could come and speak
to you in a dream and tell you to go to church, then you would
go. No, you wouldn't.
Because you have. Everything you need for the
answers of life in your hand. What can be known of God is
found in his living word in the beginning was the.
Word. And the Word was with God, and
the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
It all points us to Jesus. And you can have a living
relationship with him if you would give him your attention.
It's the most. Valuable resource that.
You can offer him earlier you saying you.
Deserve it all, will you? Give him your attention.
Will you devote your life to a relationship with the?
Living God now in time, so that in eternity it is the.
Joy of the feast. And not the torment of the fire.
I know many of you already believe and I just encourage you
to. Get a joy of the.
Feast. Now I'll end you with a
summarized quote from a book that any of you who are
interested in this topic with further reading can read called.
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis. And, and one of the profound
moments of the book is when you. Realize that there are two.
Destinations and for those who long for heaven.
As they look. Back in the life of.
Earth, they realize that they were.
Living towards heaven the whole time, and those who were
destined for hell, they look back and they realize that it
was ever present. Every day of their.
Lives. And haven't you ever felt that
when you're in a moment of worship and you're praising God
and you're looking around and you think, Oh my goodness, this
is what heaven's going to be? Like this is a preview of the
eternal worship with all the. Saints of Heaven and.
Sadly, you've probably had a. Preview in the other direction
when someone has hurt you or someone has become so unworthy
of forgiveness that you write them off and you hope you never
see them again and you are walking in the.
Preview of what hell? Will be so to make the most of
the time you have left, take your most valuable resource
which is attention and look for previews of heaven.
Everywhere you go, get a preview of heaven.
As you open the word, get a preview of heaven.
As you bless those who God loves, who will be at the feast?
If your time ran out. Today, where are you going?
This is the question I'll leave. You with as we.
Sing one last song of worship. And of course, as we sing this
song of worship, we are in fact preparing our hearts to give our
attention and our. Refocus to the the joy of the
story. That one did come back from the
grave and, and those of you who believe, believe in that, that
sin and death and affliction and sores and, and the lowly have
hope in heaven because the grave has been conquered, That we can
enter into the feast, not because of our standing or our
wealth, but because of the blessing of the forgiveness of
sin freely offered in the cross. Of Christ.
Thanks for joining us today. If you would like to watch the
full service, check out the link in the description.
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