An Eternal Focus

John 14:1-4

Jim Davis

Solomon had an instinctive awareness of eternity. Solomon writes, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) 

Solomon never had the privilege of viewing photos of the modern day space telescopes. We can observe space exploration and actually get a more comprehensive view of eternity. As we peer into space galaxies continue be born right in front of our eyes.  We can look backward to almost the beginning of the universe. Yet, as we observe the cosmos we cannot fathom what God has done. What a privilege and encouragement—what hope a view of eternity instills.

Psalm 19:1-6 
The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge. 
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them. 
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
    It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Looking out into such vastness and such wonder gives us a glimpse of the majesty of God. Just to think, I am an integral part of his glorious creation. When God gave each of us life—he gave us a part of his eternal bein--he gave each of us a part of himself—eternal life. We are his offspring. Imagine sharing or being a part of the life of the one who is eternal. This is the biggest part of being made in the image of God.

We are children of the living God through our natural birth.

Acts 17:27-29
27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.

We have a great tendency to live solely with a myopic worldly view. Why not view our life from the eternal perspective? After all we are the God’s offspring.

Peter encourages us to embrace an eternal view of life. We may look at the following verses only as a forewarning of gloom and doom. They are actually a message of our promise of eternity. It is a message encouraging us to embrace our eternal future.  

1 Peter 3:10 
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Peter encourages us to embrace our daily struggles with our eyes fixed on eternity. One thing the Bible makes clear is that life on earth is not all it was meant to be.  We see this story beginning in Eden. It is why we are exhorted to keep our eye on something beyond this world.

John 141-4
 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

I think of it like this—Christ is out there in some far away galaxy preparing a palace for those who embrace God’s eternal promises. It is a place just as real as earth but much better.

Revelation 21:1-5
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
It is amazing how our minds can direct us away from what is important. Often, we dwell on haunting nightmarish memories or on what we hope the future will be or on how we think life ought to be—while failing to embrace life from an eternal view. 

Matthew 6:19-23
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

It is so important to seek a clear view of our life on earth. Our focus is easily diverted to earthly troubles. We live in a world where vermin destroy, thieves are all around seeking to steal, a world of murder, rape, etc. The distractions are compelling and real—keeping a clear head is sometimes difficult. 

Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Trust God’s Promises about Life and Eternity
When the troubles are heavy we need to remember we can trust God’s promises for our eternal future. Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Believing in the promises helps us keep a clear focus,

My wife, Mary, died in January 2022. We had decided that we wanted to be created. I had planned to scatter her ashes in the ocean. Mary had no preference. However, I decided to keep her ashes. I decided to buy a nice urn. I found a nice brass urn on line. It is covered with a scene of the universal stars and galaxies. It looks like many of the pictures we see from space telescopes. I always took her out to see the stars. While living in California we drove up into the mountains to observe the stars and passing comets. I thought this is the ideal urn. I thought it couldn’t be more appropriate. It portrays where we will be someday with the God of all eternity.
The urn sets in our bedroom. It reminds me of where Mary is right now. It helps me look forward to the day when we will meet again. It gives me a very positive view as I think about my earthly life. Heaven will be so much more than we can ever imagine. I have a positive view of Mary’s death after spending 50 years with Mary. It is what we lived for in spite of all our problems and difficulties in life. Earthly life pales almost into insignificance with this view of life.
Focusing on how God revealed himself through the divine promises he made to those who followed him is a great source of strength. The writers of the New Testament reveal how we are connected to the promises God made in the long ago. Those promises are still very much alive.
Galatians 3:26-27
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Reading the genealogies of the Bible seems strange. However, they are God’s revelation of his family tree. Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy back to Abraham. Luke traces it all the way back to Adam. Paul allows us to understand that Christians are included in God’s family tree. 
As Christians we are heirs to the promises made to Abraham. We are part of God’s plan. We have a place on God’s family tree. Following God’s people through the salvation stories of the Bible allows us to grasp the surety of God’s promises for ourselves. We are heirs of all the promises God made to Abraham. It is God’s way of revealing how all who follow his promises is connected to every promise he ever made.
Conclusion:
Your life is very valuable to God. You are made in his image. You are his very offspring. 
The greatest story on earth is how the Creator died for his creation. Our lives are so valuable to God that he forgives all our wrong doing as he seeks to salvage our lives with the help of all his heavenly beings. 
Hebrews 2:9
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

We are a part of God’s eternal existence--God’s angels are serving us as we live on earth.

Hebrews 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Angels rejoice as we repent of our sins. 

Luke 15:10 
Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Christians might have a hard time figuring out who is serving who? Christ died for us. Angels surround us to minister to us. The Holy Spirit is interceding for us. God is bringing all his plans for us to fruition though their work on our behalf.

Psalm 8:1-9 
Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger. 
When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place, 
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their feet: 
all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Our lives are inextricably entwined with God’s eternal being--his very existence. What hope, what encouragement to keep us focused on life in view of our eternal existence.