Recalibrate Your Perspective

Recalibrate Your Perspective

2013-10-06

Corinthians 4:16-5:10

English Standard Version (ESV)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 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.

One of the most conflicted moments in eternal existence is the moment we die and cross from this life to next.

·  For the unbeliever: the reality that Jesus is real and they have sinned against Him and are lost and now it's too late. For the Christian: great joy and yet a moment of regret as the unseen becomes seen. When before our Savior we will realize that we foolishly spent the majority of our short life on temporal and worthless things. 

God calls Christians to live with an eternal perspective, yet many believers primarily live with an earthly future rather than their eternal future in mind.  Mt 6:19-21, Jn. 6:27a

• This mindset results in a self-centered life because our future goals direct our present actions & words.  Mt 15:18-19
• Examples: Healthy (eat right, not smoke) Debt-free (sale items)

Focus of life for many Christians is on comfort in present life for self & family.

·  “righteous” acts can be selfish: help when convenient, living frugally.

§  A checkbook is a theological document. Billy Graham

• Pursuing good but eternally worthless things. Switched price tags analogy.
• Money, possessions, status, pleasure (moral/immoral)

·  Unmet temporal goals can lead to anger, envy, discontent, ungratefulness.

o   to the degree we have an eternal perspective is the degree to which we are able to endure tough times w/proper focus so fires refine rather than harden us.

• Things of this world are all eventually destroyed/left behind Jam 4:1-4, Lk 12:15, 2 Pet 3:10-13

§  How much did Steve Jobs leave:  All of it and it will all burn one day. 

Because are lives are short it’s imperative that we invest them in what is eternal. Ps. 90:2, Mk 13:31, 1 Cor 15:53, 2 Cor 5:10, 1 Tim  4:8 & 6:6-7

·  Anything having to do with God and relationship with Him (Quiet Time, being here),

·  People & any investment in people's lives for God

·  all done to personally develop Christ-like character.

To invest in what will last for eternity, God must transform our hearts & we must recalibrate in 2 ways: Firstly, emphasis on unseen not seen Col. 3:2, 2 Cor 4:17-18, 5:7, 1 Cor 2:9

·  Living by sight = life dictated by things of this world/flesh; 

·  living by faith in God = life dictated by things of Spirit.

o   Believing Word above circumstances.

·  The most precious & important realities are beyond our present senses

o   Jesus, heaven, eternity, ressurected bodies, boundless joy, peace, fulfillment.

Secondly, we must recalibrate our focus: Higher priority on inward over outward.  2 Cor. 4:16, 1 Pet 3:3-4, Gal 5:22-24, 1 Cor 13:4-7

·  This is especially relevant with today’s self-centered, image-oriented world.

o   Young = certain “look”, Older = youthful looking.

o   All strive for “right stuff”, achievements, accolades

·  We spend much time and money making exterior look good, while inside ugly and broken

o   The most important is not how we “look” but who we are becoming.

·  When we obey Christ we become more like Him: inwardly beautiful (sanctification)

o   humble, patient, generous, deny self, compassionate.

Each day that passes you’re either moving toward or away from your hearts delight. Mt 6:19-21, Ps 90:12, Eph. 5:15-16

·  God calls Christians to live with an eternal perspective which probably means some adjustment in your use of time, money, priorities...even career.

o   To obey is better than sacrifice.  1 Sam 15:22

·  Selflessly live for God’s glory & eternal treasures like praying and serving others, discipling, teaching Sunday School, Quiet Time’s, encouragement at church.

o   When making decisions about your time, money, and priorities, live for the beach not for the grain of sand.

Brothers who have gone before us & understood this:

·  “We live too much in time.  We're too earthbound.  We see as other men see.  We think as other men think.  We invest our time as the world invests it, but if we took hold of eternity as a reality, I'm convinced we'd be a different breed of people.”  Leonard Ravenhill

·   “He who provides for this life but takes no care for eternity is wise for a moment but a fool forever.” John Tillotson

·  "Only one life’ twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last." C.T. Studd

• “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot