We Will Be With The Lord Forever

How often do you think about eternity?

How often do you talk about eternity?

Do you ever feel a bit embarrassed about talking about eternity?

Just after midnight on 1 January 2000 the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up with the word “Eternity”. Why?

It was an acknowledgement of a famous Sydney resident, Arthur Stace. Arthur Stace grew up in a dysfunctional family. He became a drunkard and petty criminal who was in and out of prison. However, in 1930 he was converted and Jesus completely turned his life around. Two years later, he heard an evangelist say, “I wish I could shout the word “eternity” over the streets of Sydney”. Straight after the service he went outside, found that he had a piece of chalk in his pocket and wrote “Eternity” on the footpath. He wrote it in beautiful copperplate writing despite saying that he barely knew how to write his own name and he wasn’t even sure that he knew how to spell eternity. Arthur felt called by God to write the word “Eternity” on the Sydney footpaths. For the next 37 years he went out every morning before dawn, having prayed and asked God where he should go and spent up to four hours writing that one word. It is estimated that he wrote it over 500,000 times. For 20 of those years, no one knew who was doing it.

He once said, “I think “eternity” gets the message across. It makes people stop and think.”

What does it make you think of?

Clearly, Arthur Stace was not embarrassed by eternity but these days people might suggest that thinking about eternity is escapism from engaging with the real issues we face right now. You have heard people say that someone is so heavenly minded he is no earthly use.

Some say eternity is nothing more than wishful thinking. Heaven is “pie in the sky when you die”. “Pie in the sky” means an unrealistic expectation of something good, with emphasis on the unrealistic.

In recent years Evangelicals have been criticised for simply focusing on getting a ticket into heaven and not being properly concerned with the world we live in. Sometimes the way the gospel has been preached has suggested “If you believe, then you are saved. You’ve got your ticket. You’re OK. You don’t have to do anything else”. Others would say, “No! That is a distortion of the gospel. It is not just about getting into heaven. It is about following Jesus now. What about climate change? What about justice issues? What about the poor, child abuse, the wars raging around the world? Salvation means much more than just getting into heaven. Focusing on heaven is irresponsible when the world is in crisis.”

Some “Christians” would say that the gospel is not even about eternity; it is about working for shalom in this world now. The whole “eternity” thing is harmful because it distracts from the real issues now. Is belief in the eternal naïve or childish or old-fashioned?

Just for the record, I think some of those criticisms are justified. We are called to follow Jesus and seek His Kingdom in our world now. Christianity is not just about getting a ticket into heaven. But has the pendulum swung too far. Is there now too much focus on this world and too little focus on eternity?

What does the Bible say? How important is eternity?

You might remember that when we were looking at the New Testament prayers and asking what were the Apostles’ prayer priorities, we look at…

Ephesians1:18-19

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Paul wanted the Ephesians Christians’ eyes to be opened so that they would know “the hope to which God has called you” and “the riches of His glorious inheritance”. Hope and a glorious inheritance. He doesn’t spell out what those are but it is pretty obvious. God wants us to know – the be convicted about this. Are you praying that prayer: Lord, open their eyes to know their hope and their glorious inheritance?

READ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Again, Paul says, “I want you to know about this. I do not want you to be uninformed about those who have died”. This is important for Christians to understand. It is the difference between hope and hopelessness. Paul distinguished between the Thessalonians Christians who know about these things and who therefore have hope, and the rest of mankind who have no hope.

Have you been to the funeral of a non-Christian and come away thinking, “There was no hope in that service”? Yes they might have celebrated the person’s life and that is important, but now it is all over and they have no hope for the future. At best they might have talked about the person now being an angel or being a star or something; they might have talked about him now looking down on them, or they might have said that they would be reunited one day. People want there to be life after death, but, for many, it is nothing more than wishful thinking. If only that person had chosen to follow Jesus. Then there might have been a completely different attitude - confidence. Paul wanted the Thessalonian Christians to not be like those who have no hope.

Paul is very clearly talking about what happens after we die and it is all based on the resurrection of Jesus. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. “Fallen asleep” is a euphemism for death. Again, Paul emphasises the difference between the believer and the unbeliever: Jesus will bring those who have died in Him – those who have been united with Christ through faith in Him. Not everybody ahs hope but the Christian does.

The Thessalonians expected Jesus to return very soon, so when some of their loved ones died, they worried that they might have missed out on being taken to heaven by Jesus. Paul says no, those who have died in Christ will rise first. They will go ahead of those who are still alive when Jesus returns.

And so we will be with the Lord forever. That is the hope. It is about eternity. Paul expresses no doubt: We will be with the Lord forever.

Generally, when we use the word “hope” it is pretty weak. “I hope it doesn’t rain” doesn’t mean “I am confident it won’t rain”. We might actually be thinking “It probably will!”. “I’ve got a dentist appointment. I hope she doesn’t find anything” actually means, “I am fearful that she will”.

But “hope” in the Bible is quite different. Our hope is the confidence we have that God will fulfil His promises. Paul was absolutely confident, and he wanted the Ephesians and the Thessalonians to have that same certainty – to know it. It is on the basis of that certainty (We will be with the Lord forever) that he says, “Therefore encourage each other with these words.”

How often do you talk about eternity? Paul says we are to talk about it. We are to encourage each other by talking about heaven. Life is tough. There are all sorts of discouragements. We can easily be tempted to give up, or pull back on our love for Jesus, but if we remind each other what God has promised, that is encouragement to keep going. Finish the race. Receive the prize that God has for you. That is a very biblical exhortation (1 Cor 9:24, Heb 12:1-3).

Do not be embarrassed about the prospect of heaven. Be excited about it! Ultimately, this is what it is all about. Talk about it. Encourage others by talking about it.

Can I say again, this is not to the neglect of our responsibilities as disciples in this world. It is not only about eternity, but it absolutely is about eternity. Even John 3:16, that most popular expression of the good news of Jesus, focuses on eternal life: God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have… everlasting life.

I have talked about eternity and heaven and eternal life but the Bible uses all sorts of phrases: salvation, the Kingdom of God, the new creation, the new heavens and the new earth, glory, resurrection and the resurrection body, being in God’s presence. It is everywhere in the Bible. We should not be embarrassed about heaven. It is something we are meant to think about a lot. When we have a conviction about eternity that changes just about everything in life. We will talk about that another week.

But is it really something we are to think about a lot? Is it really of top importance?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Some of us are of an age when we are very aware that we are wasting away physically! Notice that Paul uses eternity to encourage people who were experiencing trouble. Do not lose heart. Ahead of us is an eternal glory that is far better. Therefore, do not focus your attention on the physical things of this world that are only temporary. Focus your attention on what is eternal and keep going.

Colossians 3:1-4

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Philippians 3:19-20

[talking about those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ”] Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

What is the eternal destiny of those who reject Jesus? Destruction. That is the sombre part of this. We will talk about that another week too. Their minds are set on earthly things. Then Paul said, “ But our citizenship is in heaven”. That is extraordinary. Most of us are citizens of New Zealand but, you know what? God has transferred our citizenship to heaven. If we have chosen to follow Jesus, our real home – our real address – is heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our weak physical bodies to be like His glorious body. Is that not amazing?

How important is eternity? How much should we think about eternity?

We do not have much detail about what eternity is going to be like. But we do know that God promises His people an eternity that is going to be absolutely incredible – an eternity where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Rev 21:4). Paul said it in that sentence: We will be with the Lord forever.

Do you want to encourage someone? Turn to the person next to you and say, “We will be with the Lord forever”.

I have a suggestion. What would happen if you went home, took a piece of paper and wrote “Eternity” across the top, then asked God to speak to you and just start writing down all your thoughts. Where would that lead?

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