“What if This was the Beginning of the Rest of Your Life? (And, of course, it is!)”
May 17, 2020

Good morning and welcome to Cross Creek Community Church.
We worship and serve in the Port Orange and New Smyrna Beach, Fl., communities.

Let me invite you to get your Bibles out and ready to read this morning. We get to look at a lot of Scriptures together today.

Welcome to anyone joining us for the first time. We’re so glad you’re here. Be sure and check out our crosscreekcommunitychurch.org for more information about us, my monthly blogs, and so much more. We also have a great phone app: C C Connect.
And of course for those who are already members and regular attenders you can also give of your tithe and offerings electronically through either means.

{Apologies for last Sunday’s technical difficulties… we worked them out… Thank you for your patience and grace.}

We are continuing to move forward, together, through this time of recovery from the covid-19 pandemic. As restrictions are lifted, and hair and nail salons reopen, and restaurants, and now, gyms, too, (at least in Florida), it is a time of celebration.
But it is also still a time of care and caution. It is a confusing time.

This is why Kelli Martin’s message from last week was so important. During this unsettled and uncertain time, it is imperative that we keep our eyes “on the cue ball.”
Her analogy was that, as Christians, just as a good pool, or billiards, player keeps their eye on the cue ball for a better chance at a successful game, so we need to keep our eyes on Christ, for a better life. Especially during this time.

The writer of Hebrews tells us essentially the same thing in chapter twelve verse two.
In fact, the original language suggests that we are able to run this race, (this journey of a faith life), with endurance (or perseverance), by looking to Jesus - the founder and perfecter of our faith!

Just before Hebrews 12:2 comes… you got it! Hebrews 12:1. And in Hebrews 12:1, we’re told we are encompassed, (or surrounded) by a great cloud of witnesses.

Hebrews lists many of our ancestors in the faith, in chapter 11. We call it the “Hebrews Hall of Faith Fame.” You can add to the list people you know and love (and miss) who believed in Christ and are also among that great cloud of witnesses cheering us all on to the finish line!

These “witnesses” have already finished the race and have gone on to Heaven ahead of us.

It is this promise of Heaven which is an essential piece of our Christian faith that I want to peace with you about this morning.

It is looking forward to seeing some of those witnesses someday that I want you to think about this morning.

And it is the founder, or author, of our faith, Jesus Christ, (the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God, the One who willingly gave His life for all of us), and our relationship with HIM, that I also want to talk with you about, and have you think about, this morning.

So, let us pray! [Pray: 1) Con’d protection from the coronavirus.
2) Eradication of the disease.
3) Strength, wisdom and peace for all of us during this time of readjustment.
4) Financial provision - and gratitude to God for where that’s happened already!
5) His Spirit speaking to our hearts to receive His message from His Word today. “Ears to hear…”
6) Help us to grow in understanding of the truth and strength of our Christian faith which gives us HOPE of HEAVEN and seeing those “witnesses,” and most importantly of all, 7) our relationship with God!]

So I want to ask you this morning:
What if, on Monday, you were told that you were going to die soon?
{Disclaimer of course we declare health and healing and fighting supernaturally, etc. But just for the sake of the question, indulge me just for a moment…}

How would that change things for you, and those around you? What might you do differently? What might they do differently? Would there be more tenderness? Would hard hearts soften? Would stiff necks loosen?

How might priorities change?

As we’ve gone through these last two months of sheltering in place at home, or quarantining, what have we learned?

What have we given up that we don’t want to take back?
In what ways have we become more relaxed, more rested, more peaceful?
What have we taken on that we will continue to practice?

Many of us are much more rested now. Many of us have stayed home more than ever before. (Our pets, and organized drawers and pantries, are loving it!)

Perhaps we can carry some of that forward. Perhaps some of us can choose to stay home more often. Spend more time with more people and pets who love us. Spend more time with the One who loves us most.

Perhaps some of us can choose to work from home more. (This sure cuts down on carbon emissions and the skies over LA clearer than ever in decades; and canals of Venice clearer than in many, many years.)
Perhaps we can (continue to) cook at home more, and save money, and eat healthier.
The money we save we can send to places that have no food at all! (Marty’s request!
Can make a note for this fund under comments for now; after Monday Sharon will have a designated line for “Food for Kadawa.”)

Perhaps we can exercise in our neighborhoods more, and continue to get to know our neighbors better. Perhaps we can even be the church and meet some needs!

Perhaps we’ve adopted a slower and more meaningful pace. (I know for you who’ve continued to work outside the home, and even added homeschooling too, this may not be true for you. Yet. )

The point is evaluation of our frenetic pace as a society has been brought to a screeching halt. And there are parts of it that are good for us. Let’s not lose that.

Perhaps some have adopted a slower and more meaningful pace. Not being so busy all the time has translated into people who are more rested, relaxed and creative.
More fully present to the others in their lives.

Most of all, I hope you’ve taken up the habit of daily prayer and Bible reading.
Of spending time with and getting to know God better.
If you’ve had a busier time than usual in contrast to much of the rest of the world, I hope you’ll have a quieter and calmer time ahead of you.
I hope you’ll carve out time to be with the Lover of your soul. The One who loves you
most. I hope you’ll get to know Him, or get to know Him better.

If you were told tomorrow you’d be leaving this earth soon, you’d want that relationship with Christ to be in place! You’d want that friendship with God to be familiar And you’d want to make sure the Holy Spirit knows you well.

There’s a curious story in Acts chapter 19 about the “seven sons of Sceva” who were trying to imitate Paul.
[Read Acts 19:11-15.]

Are you known, even among the evil spirits, as someone who loves Christ?
Or would they just look at each other if you tried to do something in Jesus’ name, and ask, who’s that?!
Instead, may they tremble at the sound of each and every one of our names as we are known as people who know Jesus well and are filled to overflowing with His Spirit and His power!
We can proclaim “in the name of Jesus,” and the devil must flee.
James 4:7 & 8 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.
Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
Have you drawn near to God. Does He know you?
If not, you might want to get busy on that.

I will tell you right now, from personal experience, that it will be your relationship with God, and nothing else, which will be what matters should you be told you’ll be leaving this earth soon.

Peace floods your soul as you know the One who has always been there for you will continue to be so.
Assurance replaces doubt as you know if it’s your time to go, He’ll be with you all the way.

Some of you have had or even now are walking through this experience. You know that our faith makes all the difference.

And then, as you go through these-are-your-last-days-on-earth thinking, you think of Heaven. Our real home. And you think of all “the witnesses,” or people you have know and loved who have died who believed in Christ, and you look forward to seeing them once more!

I want to invite you to take some time after this morning’s message to make a list of everyone you’ve loved who has died and were in Christ and are now one of those “cloud of witnesses” cheering us on.

You’ll be surprised how the list will grow. You’ll be surprised how many there are you’ve forgotten about. And in the process you may grieve some. And that’s okay!
We are a society who doesn’t allow ourselves to grieve. It’s not only okay, it’s healthy to acknowledge those feelings. Don’t stay there, but let yourself get them out.
And then rejoice that you know where they’ve gone and you know where you’re going!

It’s important to understand, this morning, that Christianity is the one true faith that gives us hope of eternal life because of Christ!

When I do funerals it’s always a relief to be able to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of faith in Him, our loved ones have gone there to His Kindom in Heaven.
Because of faith in Him, I believe I will too. Not only will I get to live forever after with Him, but I suspect I’ll get to see all those loved ones too!

We won’t be reincarnated. We won’t be angels.
(He already has plenty of those. Read Revelation 5:11.)
We will be who we are in spirit, and also like Jesus when we get to our real home.

Romans 8:29 tells us we’re slowly being “conformed to” Christ. The Greek word for this is “soom mor fos.” Notice how it sounds a bit like… morphing into something…similar!
That’s the definition!
We slowly become more and more similar to Christ as we get to know Him better and grow in our relationship with Him! God does the work, we just make ourselves available! How are you doing at making yourself available to Him?

The beautiful thing about our faith is it’s not too late. You can start right where you are and begin that relationship with Him. You can choose today to begin to spend time daily in His presence and in His Word and in prayer, and get to know Him better.

I John 3:1-3 says… [Read this…]
This past week we read in Colossians ch 3 about how we are “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.”
We spoke those words over each other. They are powerful.
And they sound like John in the Scripture we just read.

We have hope that we’re headed to Heaven. We have hope of seeing our loved ones in Christ again. And we have hope that we can continue to get to know God better.

To get to know God better we have to regularly search ourselves and confess sin - anything that has come between us and God or others. The Holy Spirit is very good at gently bringing to mind any of theses offenses.
Just ask.
It’s good to begin that private time with God some mornings with a prayer from the end of Psalm 139 (:23,24)
“Search me, oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Then He gives us the courage to say we’re sorry, and to then turn away from that behavior.

This is called purification.
John wrote in I John 3:3 that all of us who have this hope of a Heavenly future “purify ourselves, just as He is pure.”

After all, we can’t meet with God if we haven’t “purified ourselves,” because God is holy! He said, “Be holy, because I am holy.” (I Peter 1:16)

Christ has already taken care of our salvation and sin’s control over us, but we still need to be in control over the sin that still tries to creep into our lives. We can recognize it, confess it to God, and then find forgiveness. Then we can hang out with God all we want!

The Message tells us about sin in Romans 6 in a way you won’t forget. Here these words from Romans 6:12-14, The Message: “That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time … into God’s way of doing things! Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.”

Beloved, we’re living in the freedom of God when we belong to Christ.
We’re Heaven-bound.
We’re looking forward to Heavenly reunions.
And we’re growing in relationship with the One who makes it all possible.

You could say we’re “storing up treasures in Heaven.” (Matthew 6:19,20)

If you’re told your time on earth is coming to an end, (aside from the obvious spiritually strong and mature response of… uh uh… wrong address…etc.,) you need to have lived in such a way that your heart is in the right place.
And if this message is getting to you along those lines, it’s never too late to start!

Jesus made it clear that having the wrong treasures, or priorities, leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. What we treasure the most controls us.
Do you want God to control you?
Or other things we’re spending too much time and attention on.

This is the time to adjust our priorities.
We’ve been forced to that already in many ways.
Let’s not forget what we found to be most important during this pandemic: God. Time with God. Family. Friends. Faith.

When we think our physical life is coming to an end, all the sudden our differences fade. They become unimportant.

Our shared sense of purpose is greater than our differences.
If you were told tomorrow that you only had a few weeks left to live, you would become more gentle. Patient. Humble. Kind. And compassionate.

Let’s look together at Colossians 3:12-14 as we end out time together this morning.
[Read]
Have you gotten dressed yet today? It’s ok if you’re having “pajama church” right now. That’s one of the beauties of this format. You don’t have to go anywhere. We can share this time together, electronically, from the comfort of our own homes.

But when you go to get dressed, I hope you’ll put on these clothes. And if you’re already dressed, I hope you’ll check to make sure you are wearing these, and wearing them well:
1) Compassion. (How do you look at others? With judgement? Or compassion.)
2) Kindness. (Are you mean to others? Or kind.)
3) Humility. If you are being told you’re not going to live much longer, suddenly you are SO GRATEFUL and humble for the good medical care you receive! You’re SO HUMBLY grateful for the love and prayers and support surrounding you.
4) Gentleness. (Are you harsh? Or gentle.)
And finally,
5) Patient.

As someone pointed out in our Wednesday Zoom group, we need Christ in order to be able to walk in these attributes. And yes, this is fruit from God’s Holy Spirit which develops within us as we get to know Him better, and slowly become more like Christ.

So, What if Today was the beginning of the Rest of Your Life?
Well, of course, it is!

Let’s make it count. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Let’s remember we’re not home yet. Let’s be encouraged we’re being cheered on! And let’s get to know God and His Word better than ever.

Let’s pray…