The Sermon Living by David McGee
Jan 10, 2016
Living (34:05)
Referenced Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:1-20
Audio
Click To View Notes & Scriptures
-
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
2 Corinthians 5:1-20
1) For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
2) For most assuredly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven;
3) if so be that being clothed we will not be found naked.
4) For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5) Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.
6) Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;
7) for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8) We are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
9) Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.
10) For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
11) Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God; and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.
12) For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance, and not in heart.
13) For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you.
14) For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died.
15) He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.
16) Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.
17) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, they have become new.
18) But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20) We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
The WEB Bible is provided by Public Domain.
Click To View The Sermon's Machine Transcription
This is a machine transcript of the sermon. It won't be completely accurate of what's said in the sermon.
Yeah I think of. I probably. It's all right if I repeat stories I hear people on the television repeating stories all the time so it's OK for me. You know I always think I have to come up with something new but I gave up on that you know. After thirty six years. So anyhow. There's a. If you want to know how intelligent you are this is an intelligence test it's called an I.Q. test. That you know. So I know some of you already feel left out. But as you know whenever you find yourself on the track of life. You know you get out on the track and you start around the track and you fall into a hole. OK. Well you know you get up and you go on. While the second time around you fall into the same hole. The third time around you fall into the same hole. And sooner or later becomes an I.Q. test. Are you going to stop falling in the hole. Are you going to get around the. You know are you going to get on a different track. So in our lives. If we're constantly running into the same problem. If we're constantly running into the same difficulty. If we're constantly. Presenting ourselves with the same temptation and the same problem the tripped us up twenty years ago. Is still tripping us up today in our spiritual walk in our walk with and our walk in life. You know we need to. We need to stop and just look for a minute. I know I have I know someone that. I think they've had. Maybe thirty thirty jobs in the last ten years. I don't know a person could have that many jobs. But you know and they would go out and find work. And you know what happened they would be at work and. The thing that I'm in I guess it shouldn't amaze me. The individual always knew more than the people he is working for. OK. I mean and you know he's And then the person is a good guy. I mean it's a nice guy. I mean he's is a wonderful. Person. But you just can't tell him anything. You can't explain anything to him because he already knows it. And I I feel bad for him feel bad for the family I feel bad for. Because there's a lot of. Possibility there. There's a lot of qualities good qualities. But they just can't get beyond. Owning everything. You know they I can't just get beyond the idea that they are have. Have a not. That other people may have a little bit more knowledge than. The and then. Than themselves. But we find that in our walk with . We don't know it all. I don't know it all. And there are things that you know that I'll never know because I haven't come through your walk and through your life and. And there are things that I know and experiences that I've had that. Perhaps I can teach and help. But we're we're two Life is too short for us to experience. Every failure. They could ever experience. You know. If we think that. Being able to understand someone is to walk a mile in their shoes. You know. We're going to have an awful lot of issues. Because we can't walk in everybody else's shoes. I can't know. The experiences other people have known. Hardships heartaches difficulties successes failures. I can know it but Christ has given to us an understanding of the scripture has given to us an understanding of the Scripture through Jesus Christ that can help us get a grip on our life and. If. If we think that we've got life also dup in a perfect understanding of it. Better think it again. And second Corinthians Chapter five. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. Excuse me. He's writing to the church at Corinth. And he's trying to get them some information. About their life. And about what's going on in life and some expectations about it and I thought I would try to just kind of read through. The second Corinthians Chapter five. For instance. Paul says to the church here Corinth. For instance. We know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away. They will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven. made. Not handmade. And will never have to relocate. Our tents again. So Paul is talking about our bodies. Dying. OK. Perishing. Physical body. Dying. And. And I think of it in the context that. When we need to see our life. In a couple of different perspectives. One is. Some day it's going to be over. OK. Now. In many respects. You know all people get frightened at that. But Paul. Paul is telling the church of Corinth and he's also telling us. We don't have to worry about that. You know. My way. You know working in hospice and. Every every week. I help people with this. This struggle. I mean this is where I live this is where my ministry. Often is and fact on. Even on Friday I was called to a place to work with this very same thing and. What I what I try to present is this. OK. When life is over in the scripture when talk a little bit when life is over we're going to stand before and that is going to. We're going to have to give account of our life. Now rather than thinking of this as something to be afraid of. It is that which is to be anti ted. John three sixteen. We can quote that one for so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall show Ottawa. Should not perish but have everlasting life. All right. So we know that and. What we just sang about. You know. We surrender to we ask Him for forgiveness to come into our life then John three seventeen. For did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. But to the world through Him might be saved. The purpose of 's coming. Is not condemnation. did not come to set up a standard. In which he can point fingers at us and say how bad we are. That is. You know so whatever we think about coming to the end of life. is not going to sit there with a book a note book and say Ah. David you failed this one. David you failed this one. You know David you could have been a little better on this one you know. And you had all these black marks on your check marks against you. And it's almost as if we're on the stale. You know people. And the humanistic point. And sometimes religion. Points. Not our church not our faith. But religion point says well. You've got to balance out scales. Has the good overdone the bad. Has the bad overdone the good. You know. And if the good is over it more good than bad you go to heaven if it's not to go to and. Is this this type of. It's not true. It's not true at all. has come to forgive us. And in our life. has. Blessings that he wants to bestow upon us. But we have to be smart enough not to keep living in the hole. Of sin. Of wrongdoing. Of guilt of condemnation. If we've given our life to Christ. We don't need to go back and jump in the hole. OK. Well. Do you remember when I did this year remember when I did that my sin my failure. Don't go jumping in the hole. has. has taken you off of that track. Your life doesn't revolve around that track where the whole is. has given you a new life. He's given you a new opportunity. His His mercies and his grace are renewed every day. So you see and looking forward to the end of life. Paul says that here. Our tents. Are going to be folded away. This life this body dies goes to the. Into the dirt. You know ashes to ashes dust to dust. And then he's a creep and no more for us. You know and there's just. I never heard that one. Well you know. You just don't get and you just don't get it so travel in the right sort of circles. You know the funeral directors their business is always going in the hole. You see he's just got to be around filler directors to hear these kind of things. Did you know that there has never been the to my knowledge in all the funeral directors I've spoken with. There has never been one person go to . Never. There's never been a service in which they said you know what this guy is going to you know. There's none of that I mean there's none of that. Well. . Getting back to the truth here of 's word. Is that he loves us and His desire is that no one should perish. His desire cods desire for our life is that we would grow. In our knowledge. And our understanding. And in our spiritual life. That we would grow. And we would become more mature. That we would be able to see the life from a different perspective. And Paul is telling us that one day. Our tent is going to be folded up. And that we are going to go to heaven. And we are going to have a heavenly body. That is made by That is not made with flesh and blood. And will never have to relocate again. So Heaven is our home forever so. If we recognize that loves us and has forgiven us. And that our sins are forgiven. And that the pit or whole that we have lived in or come from. We don't have to jump back in again. OK. So that's an I.Q. test. Don't go back to. You know the Bible says that has forgiven us or sins and put our sins in the. The sea of forgetfulness and he has a sign up there. No fishing. So don't go trying to drag up the past. While sometimes we can hardly wait to move. And so we cry out in frustration sometimes we can hardly wait to get out of life. You know. Sometimes we think that life is so miserable and it is so bad I would just like to go to heaven and have this all done with. You know. I've been there. Sometimes I don't like what happens. Sometimes I get so frustrated with what happens sometimes I think that. You know . If we're done let's go. You know let's get out of here. And you know see my whole thing is I want to wake up dead. You know. I don't want to hear this stuff lying around you know. You know. I just want to wake up dead I want to be in heaven it's all over and you can just grieve all you want. Nomine haven't got that there. But that's you know. But we're going to move we're going to transition. But we should never live in fear of heaven. We should never live in fear of what may happen in the future. With us on our death or whatever. We should never live in fear and this is what Paul is telling us here. Sometimes it's hard for us to even imagine that we can get there. Now. Compared to what's coming in living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfinished. Sack. And we're tired of it. Sometimes our life just feels like we're just living in a shack and we get tired of living in a shack. You know. And is saying. Don't worry. Heaven is not like the shack you live in. So we've been given a glimpse now this is where we get into the realities of our life. We've been given a glimpse of the real thing. Our true home. Our resurrected bodies. Now whenever we read the scriptures and Jesus says that the saying you know the scripture tells us the same see the same spirit. The race Christ from the dead. Scuse me. Sold Well then you he shall quicken your mortal bodies. So the same spirit to brought Christ from the dead is the same Spirit to live lives of then us. Now that same spirit that lives in us isn't just lying dormant until we kill over. The spirit that lies within us is there no condemnation. There is no condemning spirit in Christ. So coming back to today. Coming back to now. I do not need to live in condemnation. has forgiven me. The condemning Spirit is not 's Spirit. The things of failure bringing up our past that's not . has forgiven and they're gone. So we see that. The spirit of fear does not exist in . He didn't come to condemn us. He came to save us now. Anybody know what the lottery was. I mean you all know so tell me. Why was it. Not one point three billion dollars. OK. That's that's what they're already putting out new stuff. OK. Now. If you got one point three billion dollars. So you know what happens is this. In our mind. We we allocate. We relocate. Our physical wellbeing. To a place in which we could have whatever we want. So therefore we have dreams that's what the lottery is all about. You know some lucky person. Has the ability to be struck by lightning three times and live. You know. So that's the chances of being. Winning the lottery. But the chance but you see what happens is are the. How can we understand spiritual things. Jesus said to Nicky Demas you must be born again John Chapter three. He also says to the naked Demas nicotine is how do I get it because he misses How do I get in the kingdom of . Jesus said You must be born again. What is Jesus doing. He's taking something physical and tying it to something spiritual. OK. That's a parable. That's a story with a meaning. So he likens our spiritual birth to a physical birth. That when we accept Christ into our. Into our life. That we are born again. That we are forgiven. Our sins are wiped away. We have no more say no more sin. Allocated to our life from all of our past mistakes. And we're set free were born again. Now whenever we think of our people present this whole idea you know of winning a billion dollars And all this kind of stuff. We kind of light up. Well if I had a million dollars if I had one hundred dollars you know Sweet some of the say well if I had a hundred bucks I would feel this way you know. And I had a million bucks I'd feel this way. You know I can spend a million. No problem. Now a hundred million you know might take me a little longer but. You see what happens is we take that physical reality that we would ume that goes with that. You know. Allocation of finances. And we say why would be like that will then. Is telling us. A billion dollars would not be able to touch. Scratch. You of the spiritual life that you possess. The spiritual life that you possess. You see it what does it profit a man if he should gain the whole world. In loses soul. You see what we have in Christ. Is so much greater then. Any amount of wealth in this life. So whenever we think of or get excited about getting one hundred bucks or getting a million bucks or. You know. Of a dollar bill. Are great nice. We it was your birthday and we sent her card or it's their package you know and. Put you know Ron is going to put a ten dollar bill and I said no no no you know put five ones and we didn't have ten one so if it five ones and five in. She loved the five ones want to him. And her mentality the five ones were much better than one five. You know. Well in our lives we have that limited perspective our spiritual. Our spiritual gifting. We have a limited perspective you know think of it. That I can do all things through Christ. What's going on inside of me with 's berthing his spirit is limitless. Limitless. You see. When you know. A billion bucks. It's limitless what I could buy. You already have. Of limitless supply. It is a supply. That will take care of us. Clear through eternity. And it doesn't go away. And you don't have to pay taxes on. There is this guy he was talking to . And he says to . What is a billion dollars What is a billion years like to you and says Well billion years like to me is like a second. And then he goes Well what is a billion dollars like. To you and. says well be like a penny. To you guys think for a minute. He says god. Can I have a penny. And says. Yeah. In a second. Well I like that one. It's not mine it's somebody else's. So I see the reality is we have great spiritual wealth. We have great spiritual wealth. You know you won't see us. This is goes on with the Corinthians. You won't see us drooping our heads and dragging our feet. In cramped conditions here. Don't get us down. You see. Living in the shack. Here in the cramped miss of it. Don't kid. We don't get down with this life. And with the events of life and the cir stances of life. Because it only reminds us of the iousness of eternity. We don't get down with our lack or whatever we have here. We don't get down with that. Because we know that something greater is in full in front of us. And that you see that the renewable. That goes on with in our spirits. Is renewed every day. Some of us have dementia. We're constantly forgetting what has given to us. We're constantly forgetting. The good that's in our life. We're forgetting about the blessings that we have in our hands. You know. The people who are upset about where they live in their house and how bad it is until they lose their job and they're going to lose their house. And it's like they pray that they may keep their house and then when they get their job and get life in cars back they're happy about the house they're living in you see. So it's a perspective of our lives. And wants us to have a perspective that is the view of eternity. It's what we trust. In but yet. It goes on does the Reminds us of our iousness. It is what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. What we trust in is the Word of . The scriptures. I am the resurrection and the life. Who believes in me though he were dead yet show you live. Do you believe this. Who believe that I give them a ten dollar bill. This inning. We got it we get there you so. Do you suppose a few. Rots in the roads and rocks. On the Path are going to stop us. If you think that. We're going to get upset because the roads mucking in ready and py no. While goes on to say in verse nine. But neither. Exile nor homecoming. Is the main thing. Paul is telling them. You know the Jews they were exiled out of Jerusalem and in Egypt and. Talks about the homecoming also. Homecoming coming to heaven and things like that. It's neither. The difficulties. Nor. The expectations of heaven. The difficulties are the expectations have heaven. These are not the main things. Cheerfully. Pleasing. is the main thing. Cheerfully. Pleasing . You see. Cheerfully pleasing . We think. In our physical realm if we had a billion bucks. We would be cheerfully pleasing because we got everything we need and want never could have. And is saying cheerfully pleasing me. Is the main thing and what would go out what would be pleasing to . What would it be that would make happy. Well. What makes happy as the very thing that makes us who we are. He created us. Exactly who we are with our abilities and our inabilities. And he wants us to surrender those things to him as a gift. Meaning that. What you possess. We give back to as a gift. You see it isn't in giving yourself I had a billion bucks how much would I give up. I'd even pay the pastor. I give money to the church if I met him give some of money the person next to me in the pew you know. I'll give him ten bucks. You know I give a tip. You know I get better tips at the restaurant. You know are you not be gracious. If we're not gracious with our dollar. We're not going to be gracious with our billion. Because he who is faithful over a little will be faithful overmuch. So if we can't be satisfied with what we have having more. Won't make us satisfied. And we see. Cheerfully pleasing . Cheerfully pleasing . Then I am happy and joyful. Happy depends on happenings. I am joyful. About my life. But you don't know what's gone wrong with me. Then and then then then. It's not the sins or the problems of our life. Or of the expectation of eternity in a mansion in Heaven. It's. Hearing now pleasing . That's where our life. Finds purpose and meaning. Joyfully saying. I'm a child of the king. You know. loves me and I'm forgiven and. You're going to song. Offer a hand. That you're going to give of what you have. You see if wanted you to be me. You would find me to be a real burden. If wanted me to be you. You would be a real burden to me because I can't be like you. I can't be like another minister or another minister. Like me or you like somebody. To beautiful you know if I just had their looks. I had their money. If I see how we limit intake. And that we're not cheerful. Joyful with who we are. We're looking in the mirror of 's creation and say. . I think you blew it. You know. Though I think I said this when the little boy asked his grandfather. Grandfather did make you. And Grandfather says yes and. Little boy said to make me. And Grandfather says yes. Little boy thinks for a minute and says he's getting better at it isn't it. So that's us. You know. 's getting better at it. And the more we recognize you see his. Word is given to us. To take the gift ings that we have and use them in a way. That is going to be a blessing to others and as we help other people get where they need to be. We will find ourselves. Arriving at where we need to be. So it isn't in getting something that we don't have it's in taking something that we do have and investing in allowing the seeds of what we have to grow. In the soil of our own hearts and lives in mines. You see has a purpose for us. And in us fulfilling that purpose. We make happy happy or. Joyful. I don't know. But it's just like your foot. Standing underneath you when you're standing up. Does it make you happy that your feet are standing. Well if you were dragging them. Or you were in a accident and couldn't walk. You would have a big change. Big change of heart. One of the story. There is this and this is a true story I guess. I heard from somebody else and must be true. This this dog was you know. Going to have puppies but it wa by a car and it. It dislocated his back legs. And whatever in the dog lived. And. But in order for the dog. To survive it drat it would drag around its back legs you know it would walk around just dragging its back legs. So the dog had the puppies. And you know a beautiful. Litter of puppies and he was me. I had to be beautiful litter of puppies. But all the puppies. When they began to walk. All. All drug. Their back legs. Took them to the vet. What's wrong with these puppies examine them. Nothing's wrong with the puppies. They're just mirroring what they see. Who is saying and how much of our life. Is just mirroring what we've seen. And that's why we keep falling in the pit. Where mirroring what we know. And what is doing in his word. Is giving us a more perfect image. The perfect image of Christ. And we are striving to become. Thing. Striving to become. What has called us to be. And so that means we use what we have to give honor and glory to . And while we're doing that. We extend a hand others. Help them along the path. So you have a purpose. Yes. has a plan. Yes. has a place for us in eternity. Yes. Are we supposed to be in eternity now know. If we were. You wouldn't be here. So until that day comes. Let us now live in. Expectation. Do you know. An order for someone to be expectant a mother. A woman to be expectant. They have to conceive. And if we can't conceive it in our minds and in our heart. We will never become expectant. So wants to conceive. In our minds in our spirit. His blessings his gift ings his. His strength. His power His love His forgiveness. He wants to conceive that in our minds so that we can birth. The things of in our life. To give strength to our soul in our lives. And the lives of the people around us that we can make a difference. Not only now but in eternity. And that everyone around us is blessed. And then. That's good. Let's stand s ing. Everyone around us is black. Why because we are a blessing. Do you agree. Are you a blessing. Who have you blessed today. Did you curse that person who poured out in front of you know. You say we got an opportunity to bless them. We have an opportunity to bless. And not curse. We have an opportunity to uplift and not the steroid. You think we have the ability with our Miles. To create create blessings create life. Conceive of the blessing that . I am believing for this year to be an overflowing year in our lives in our church. And expectation and see it's an expectations and has to birth it not only in my life and in yours. And if he bursts that in us. We then have an expectant. And you know. A mother who is expecting. Has a baby in her womb. So if we are expecting. We have a birth. In our heart that is planning. And then Father we thank you. We thank you for your word we thank you for our life we thank you for the focus of. Of who we are in you. The we are. Greater is he even is in us than he that is in the world. So there is an expectation there is a. Birthing of power and strength. And Lord the world. Doesn't have a say on whether we live or whether we die whether we're blessed or not blast. It's all in your hands and Lord we are grateful for this day and for the blessings you've given us. we give you thanks. We give you praise. In Jesus name Amen. bless you are.Yeah I think of. I probably. It's all right if I repeat stories I hear people on the television repeating stories all the time so it's OK for me. You know I always think I have to come up with something new but I gave up on that you know. After thirty six years. So anyhow. There's a. If you want to know how intelligent you are this is an intelligence test it's called an I.Q. test. That you know. So I know some of you already feel left out. But as you know whenever you find yourself on the track of life. You know you get out on the track and you start around the track and you fall into a hole. OK. Well you know you get up and you go on. While the second time around you fall into the same hole. The third time around you fall into the same hole. And sooner or later becomes an I.Q. test. Are you going to stop falling in the hole. Are you going to get around the. You know are you going to get on a different track. So in our lives. If we're constantly running into the same problem. If we're constantly running into the same difficulty. If we're constantly. Presenting ourselves with the same temptation and the same problem the tripped us up twenty years ago. Is still tripping us up today in our spiritual walk in our walk with and our walk in life. You know we need to. We need to stop and just look for a minute. I know I have I know someone that. I think they've had. Maybe thirty thirty jobs in the last ten years. I don't know a person could have that many jobs. But you know and they would go out and find work. And you know what happened they would be at work and. The thing that I'm in I guess it shouldn't amaze me. The individual always knew more than the people he is working for. OK. I mean and you know he's And then the person is a good guy. I mean it's a nice guy. I mean he's is a wonderful. Person. But you just can't tell him anything. You can't explain anything to him because he already knows it. And I I feel bad for him feel bad for the family I feel bad for. Because there's a lot of. Possibility there. There's a lot of qualities good qualities. But they just can't get beyond. Owning everything. You know they I can't just get beyond the idea that they are have. Have a not. That other people may have a little bit more knowledge than. The and then. Than themselves. But we find that in our walk with . We don't know it all. I don't know it all. And there are things that you know that I'll never know because I haven't come through your walk and through your life and. And there are things that I know and experiences that I've had that. Perhaps I can teach and help. But we're we're two Life is too short for us to experience. Every failure. They could ever experience. You know. If we think that. Being able to understand someone is to walk a mile in their shoes. You know. We're going to have an awful lot of issues. Because we can't walk in everybody else's shoes. I can't know. The experiences other people have known. Hardships heartaches difficulties successes failures. I can know it but Christ has given to us an understanding of the scripture has given to us an understanding of the Scripture through Jesus Christ that can help us get a grip on our life and. If. If we think that we've got life also dup in a perfect understanding of it. Better think it again. And second Corinthians Chapter five. Paul is writing to the church at Corinth. Excuse me. He's writing to the church at Corinth. And he's trying to get them some information. About their life. And about what's going on in life and some expectations about it and I thought I would try to just kind of read through. The second Corinthians Chapter five. For instance. Paul says to the church here Corinth. For instance. We know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away. They will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven. made. Not handmade. And will never have to relocate. Our tents again. So Paul is talking about our bodies. Dying. OK. Perishing. Physical body. Dying. And. And I think of it in the context that. When we need to see our life. In a couple of different perspectives. One is. Some day it's going to be over. OK. Now. In many respects. You know all people get frightened at that. But Paul. Paul is telling the church of Corinth and he's also telling us. We don't have to worry about that. You know. My way. You know working in hospice and. Every every week. I help people with this. This struggle. I mean this is where I live this is where my ministry. Often is and fact on. Even on Friday I was called to a place to work with this very same thing and. What I what I try to present is this. OK. When life is over in the scripture when talk a little bit when life is over we're going to stand before and that is going to. We're going to have to give account of our life. Now rather than thinking of this as something to be afraid of. It is that which is to be anti ted. John three sixteen. We can quote that one for so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall show Ottawa. Should not perish but have everlasting life. All right. So we know that and. What we just sang about. You know. We surrender to we ask Him for forgiveness to come into our life then John three seventeen. For did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world. But to the world through Him might be saved. The purpose of 's coming. Is not condemnation. did not come to set up a standard. In which he can point fingers at us and say how bad we are. That is. You know so whatever we think about coming to the end of life. is not going to sit there with a book a note book and say Ah. David you failed this one. David you failed this one. You know David you could have been a little better on this one you know. And you had all these black marks on your check marks against you. And it's almost as if we're on the stale. You know people. And the humanistic point. And sometimes religion. Points. Not our church not our faith. But religion point says well. You've got to balance out scales. Has the good overdone the bad. Has the bad overdone the good. You know. And if the good is over it more good than bad you go to heaven if it's not to go to and. Is this this type of. It's not true. It's not true at all. has come to forgive us. And in our life. has. Blessings that he wants to bestow upon us. But we have to be smart enough not to keep living in the hole. Of sin. Of wrongdoing. Of guilt of condemnation. If we've given our life to Christ. We don't need to go back and jump in the hole. OK. Well. Do you remember when I did this year remember when I did that my sin my failure. Don't go jumping in the hole. has. has taken you off of that track. Your life doesn't revolve around that track where the whole is. has given you a new life. He's given you a new opportunity. His His mercies and his grace are renewed every day. So you see and looking forward to the end of life. Paul says that here. Our tents. Are going to be folded away. This life this body dies goes to the. Into the dirt. You know ashes to ashes dust to dust. And then he's a creep and no more for us. You know and there's just. I never heard that one. Well you know. You just don't get and you just don't get it so travel in the right sort of circles. You know the funeral directors their business is always going in the hole. You see he's just got to be around filler directors to hear these kind of things. Did you know that there has never been the to my knowledge in all the funeral directors I've spoken with. There has never been one person go to . Never. There's never been a service in which they said you know what this guy is going to you know. There's none of that I mean there's none of that. Well. . Getting back to the truth here of 's word. Is that he loves us and His desire is that no one should perish. His desire cods desire for our life is that we would grow. In our knowledge. And our understanding. And in our spiritual life. That we would grow. And we would become more mature. That we would be able to see the life from a different perspective. And Paul is telling us that one day. Our tent is going to be folded up. And that we are going to go to heaven. And we are going to have a heavenly body. That is made by That is not made with flesh and blood. And will never have to relocate again. So Heaven is our home forever so. If we recognize that loves us and has forgiven us. And that our sins are forgiven. And that the pit or whole that we have lived in or come from. We don't have to jump back in again. OK. So that's an I.Q. test. Don't go back to. You know the Bible says that has forgiven us or sins and put our sins in the. The sea of forgetfulness and he has a sign up there. No fishing. So don't go trying to drag up the past. While sometimes we can hardly wait to move. And so we cry out in frustration sometimes we can hardly wait to get out of life. You know. Sometimes we think that life is so miserable and it is so bad I would just like to go to heaven and have this all done with. You know. I've been there. Sometimes I don't like what happens. Sometimes I get so frustrated with what happens sometimes I think that. You know . If we're done let's go. You know let's get out of here. And you know see my whole thing is I want to wake up dead. You know. I don't want to hear this stuff lying around you know. You know. I just want to wake up dead I want to be in heaven it's all over and you can just grieve all you want. Nomine haven't got that there. But that's you know. But we're going to move we're going to transition. But we should never live in fear of heaven. We should never live in fear of what may happen in the future. With us on our death or whatever. We should never live in fear and this is what Paul is telling us here. Sometimes it's hard for us to even imagine that we can get there. Now. Compared to what's coming in living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfinished. Sack. And we're tired of it. Sometimes our life just feels like we're just living in a shack and we get tired of living in a shack. You know. And is saying. Don't worry. Heaven is not like the shack you live in. So we've been given a glimpse now this is where we get into the realities of our life. We've been given a glimpse of the real thing. Our true home. Our resurrected bodies. Now whenever we read the scriptures and Jesus says that the saying you know the scripture tells us the same see the same spirit. The race Christ from the dead. Scuse me. Sold Well then you he shall quicken your mortal bodies. So the same spirit to brought Christ from the dead is the same Spirit to live lives of then us. Now that same spirit that lives in us isn't just lying dormant until we kill over. The spirit that lies within us is there no condemnation. There is no condemning spirit in Christ. So coming back to today. Coming back to now. I do not need to live in condemnation. has forgiven me. The condemning Spirit is not 's Spirit. The things of failure bringing up our past that's not . has forgiven and they're gone. So we see that. The spirit of fear does not exist in . He didn't come to condemn us. He came to save us now. Anybody know what the lottery was. I mean you all know so tell me. Why was it. Not one point three billion dollars. OK. That's that's what they're already putting out new stuff. OK. Now. If you got one point three billion dollars. So you know what happens is this. In our mind. We we allocate. We relocate. Our physical wellbeing. To a place in which we could have whatever we want. So therefore we have dreams that's what the lottery is all about. You know some lucky person. Has the ability to be struck by lightning three times and live. You know. So that's the chances of being. Winning the lottery. But the chance but you see what happens is are the. How can we understand spiritual things. Jesus said to Nicky Demas you must be born again John Chapter three. He also says to the naked Demas nicotine is how do I get it because he misses How do I get in the kingdom of . Jesus said You must be born again. What is Jesus doing. He's taking something physical and tying it to something spiritual. OK. That's a parable. That's a story with a meaning. So he likens our spiritual birth to a physical birth. That when we accept Christ into our. Into our life. That we are born again. That we are forgiven. Our sins are wiped away. We have no more say no more sin. Allocated to our life from all of our past mistakes. And we're set free were born again. Now whenever we think of our people present this whole idea you know of winning a billion dollars And all this kind of stuff. We kind of light up. Well if I had a million dollars if I had one hundred dollars you know Sweet some of the say well if I had a hundred bucks I would feel this way you know. And I had a million bucks I'd feel this way. You know I can spend a million. No problem. Now a hundred million you know might take me a little longer but. You see what happens is we take that physical reality that we would ume that goes with that. You know. Allocation of finances. And we say why would be like that will then. Is telling us. A billion dollars would not be able to touch. Scratch. You of the spiritual life that you possess. The spiritual life that you possess. You see it what does it profit a man if he should gain the whole world. In loses soul. You see what we have in Christ. Is so much greater then. Any amount of wealth in this life. So whenever we think of or get excited about getting one hundred bucks or getting a million bucks or. You know. Of a dollar bill. Are great nice. We it was your birthday and we sent her card or it's their package you know and. Put you know Ron is going to put a ten dollar bill and I said no no no you know put five ones and we didn't have ten one so if it five ones and five in. She loved the five ones want to him. And her mentality the five ones were much better than one five. You know. Well in our lives we have that limited perspective our spiritual. Our spiritual gifting. We have a limited perspective you know think of it. That I can do all things through Christ. What's going on inside of me with 's berthing his spirit is limitless. Limitless. You see. When you know. A billion bucks. It's limitless what I could buy. You already have. Of limitless supply. It is a supply. That will take care of us. Clear through eternity. And it doesn't go away. And you don't have to pay taxes on. There is this guy he was talking to . And he says to . What is a billion dollars What is a billion years like to you and says Well billion years like to me is like a second. And then he goes Well what is a billion dollars like. To you and. says well be like a penny. To you guys think for a minute. He says god. Can I have a penny. And says. Yeah. In a second. Well I like that one. It's not mine it's somebody else's. So I see the reality is we have great spiritual wealth. We have great spiritual wealth. You know you won't see us. This is goes on with the Corinthians. You won't see us drooping our heads and dragging our feet. In cramped conditions here. Don't get us down. You see. Living in the shack. Here in the cramped miss of it. Don't kid. We don't get down with this life. And with the events of life and the cir stances of life. Because it only reminds us of the iousness of eternity. We don't get down with our lack or whatever we have here. We don't get down with that. Because we know that something greater is in full in front of us. And that you see that the renewable. That goes on with in our spirits. Is renewed every day. Some of us have dementia. We're constantly forgetting what has given to us. We're constantly forgetting. The good that's in our life. We're forgetting about the blessings that we have in our hands. You know. The people who are upset about where they live in their house and how bad it is until they lose their job and they're going to lose their house. And it's like they pray that they may keep their house and then when they get their job and get life in cars back they're happy about the house they're living in you see. So it's a perspective of our lives. And wants us to have a perspective that is the view of eternity. It's what we trust. In but yet. It goes on does the Reminds us of our iousness. It is what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. What we trust in is the Word of . The scriptures. I am the resurrection and the life. Who believes in me though he were dead yet show you live. Do you believe this. Who believe that I give them a ten dollar bill. This inning. We got it we get there you so. Do you suppose a few. Rots in the roads and rocks. On the Path are going to stop us. If you think that. We're going to get upset because the roads mucking in ready and py no. While goes on to say in verse nine. But neither. Exile nor homecoming. Is the main thing. Paul is telling them. You know the Jews they were exiled out of Jerusalem and in Egypt and. Talks about the homecoming also. Homecoming coming to heaven and things like that. It's neither. The difficulties. Nor. The expectations of heaven. The difficulties are the expectations have heaven. These are not the main things. Cheerfully. Pleasing. is the main thing. Cheerfully. Pleasing . You see. Cheerfully pleasing . We think. In our physical realm if we had a billion bucks. We would be cheerfully pleasing because we got everything we need and want never could have. And is saying cheerfully pleasing me. Is the main thing and what would go out what would be pleasing to . What would it be that would make happy. Well. What makes happy as the very thing that makes us who we are. He created us. Exactly who we are with our abilities and our inabilities. And he wants us to surrender those things to him as a gift. Meaning that. What you possess. We give back to as a gift. You see it isn't in giving yourself I had a billion bucks how much would I give up. I'd even pay the pastor. I give money to the church if I met him give some of money the person next to me in the pew you know. I'll give him ten bucks. You know I give a tip. You know I get better tips at the restaurant. You know are you not be gracious. If we're not gracious with our dollar. We're not going to be gracious with our billion. Because he who is faithful over a little will be faithful overmuch. So if we can't be satisfied with what we have having more. Won't make us satisfied. And we see. Cheerfully pleasing . Cheerfully pleasing . Then I am happy and joyful. Happy depends on happenings. I am joyful. About my life. But you don't know what's gone wrong with me. Then and then then then. It's not the sins or the problems of our life. Or of the expectation of eternity in a mansion in Heaven. It's. Hearing now pleasing . That's where our life. Finds purpose and meaning. Joyfully saying. I'm a child of the king. You know. loves me and I'm forgiven and. You're going to song. Offer a hand. That you're going to give of what you have. You see if wanted you to be me. You would find me to be a real burden. If wanted me to be you. You would be a real burden to me because I can't be like you. I can't be like another minister or another minister. Like me or you like somebody. To beautiful you know if I just had their looks. I had their money. If I see how we limit intake. And that we're not cheerful. Joyful with who we are. We're looking in the mirror of 's creation and say. . I think you blew it. You know. Though I think I said this when the little boy asked his grandfather. Grandfather did make you. And Grandfather says yes and. Little boy said to make me. And Grandfather says yes. Little boy thinks for a minute and says he's getting better at it isn't it. So that's us. You know. 's getting better at it. And the more we recognize you see his. Word is given to us. To take the gift ings that we have and use them in a way. That is going to be a blessing to others and as we help other people get where they need to be. We will find ourselves. Arriving at where we need to be. So it isn't in getting something that we don't have it's in taking something that we do have and investing in allowing the seeds of what we have to grow. In the soil of our own hearts and lives in mines. You see has a purpose for us. And in us fulfilling that purpose. We make happy happy or. Joyful. I don't know. But it's just like your foot. Standing underneath you when you're standing up. Does it make you happy that your feet are standing. Well if you were dragging them. Or you were in a accident and couldn't walk. You would have a big change. Big change of heart. One of the story. There is this and this is a true story I guess. I heard from somebody else and must be true. This this dog was you know. Going to have puppies but it wa by a car and it. It dislocated his back legs. And whatever in the dog lived. And. But in order for the dog. To survive it drat it would drag around its back legs you know it would walk around just dragging its back legs. So the dog had the puppies. And you know a beautiful. Litter of puppies and he was me. I had to be beautiful litter of puppies. But all the puppies. When they began to walk. All. All drug. Their back legs. Took them to the vet. What's wrong with these puppies examine them. Nothing's wrong with the puppies. They're just mirroring what they see. Who is saying and how much of our life. Is just mirroring what we've seen. And that's why we keep falling in the pit. Where mirroring what we know. And what is doing in his word. Is giving us a more perfect image. The perfect image of Christ. And we are striving to become. Thing. Striving to become. What has called us to be. And so that means we use what we have to give honor and glory to . And while we're doing that. We extend a hand others. Help them along the path. So you have a purpose. Yes. has a plan. Yes. has a place for us in eternity. Yes. Are we supposed to be in eternity now know. If we were. You wouldn't be here. So until that day comes. Let us now live in. Expectation. Do you know. An order for someone to be expectant a mother. A woman to be expectant. They have to conceive. And if we can't conceive it in our minds and in our heart. We will never become expectant. So wants to conceive. In our minds in our spirit. His blessings his gift ings his. His strength. His power His love His forgiveness. He wants to conceive that in our minds so that we can birth. The things of in our life. To give strength to our soul in our lives. And the lives of the people around us that we can make a difference. Not only now but in eternity. And that everyone around us is blessed. And then. That's good. Let's stand s ing. Everyone around us is black. Why because we are a blessing. Do you agree. Are you a blessing. Who have you blessed today. Did you curse that person who poured out in front of you know. You say we got an opportunity to bless them. We have an opportunity to bless. And not curse. We have an opportunity to uplift and not the steroid. You think we have the ability with our Miles. To create create blessings create life. Conceive of the blessing that . I am believing for this year to be an overflowing year in our lives in our church. And expectation and see it's an expectations and has to birth it not only in my life and in yours. And if he bursts that in us. We then have an expectant. And you know. A mother who is expecting. Has a baby in her womb. So if we are expecting. We have a birth. In our heart that is planning. And then Father we thank you. We thank you for your word we thank you for our life we thank you for the focus of. Of who we are in you. The we are. Greater is he even is in us than he that is in the world. So there is an expectation there is a. Birthing of power and strength. And Lord the world. Doesn't have a say on whether we live or whether we die whether we're blessed or not blast. It's all in your hands and Lord we are grateful for this day and for the blessings you've given us. we give you thanks. We give you praise. In Jesus name Amen. bless you are.