Live Free with Josh Howerton - On This Side of Eternity | Ep. 55 | Friday April 21, 2023

Episode Date: April 21, 2023

It’s no secret that we live in a broken world, but there is a day coming when all will be made right for those who trust in Jesus. Pastor Mike encourages us in today’s episode to persevere on this side of eternity. How can you live today with an eternal perspective? For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the podcast. Hope you having a great day. My name is Mike, and together we're tracking through a little book of the Bible called Philippians, which is actually a letter that's full of hope and joy and freedom and challenge and inspiration. And we are in chapter three where Paul talks

about the difference in his old dead way of living and the new life I just walk in with Jesus. And he kind of throws out his impressive religious resume and says, I've thrown all that in the trash. Now I just want to know Christ. That's it. I just want to know him and let my life. overflow from that intimate relationship with him. We said last time that religion is spelled D-O. Just tell me what to do. What rules to keep? What kind of clothes I'm supposed to wear?

What sacrifices I need to make? What days I'm supposed to observe? What words am I supposed to recite? What food should I avoid? Just give me the checklist. And maybe, just maybe I'll be able to appease a God that I'm sure I've ticked off in some way. See, religion is spelled D-O. Well, Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E because of what Christ has done.

for me my sins are forgiven I've been adopted into his forever family and now out of extreme gratitude I live in a way that loves and honors him and overflows on people around me and man that is a huge difference so Paul here in chapter 3 says I have been up and down that religious road now I just want to know him and if I have to suffer with him if I if I die in this prison he is my life he's my eternal hope to live as Christ to die his gain I'm not afraid to I'm not afraid to live. Then he closes out these thoughts by saying, Now, I'm not saying I've arrived.

I got a long way to go and knowing him and living for him. And by the way, that's one of the really cool things about pursuing a relationship with God. He doesn't change. But we do. As we get to know him better the way we see him, the way we see life, the way we see other people, all that begins to change for the better. Verse 12. Paul says, I don't mean to say that I've already achieved these things.

or that I have already reached perfection, but I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ first possessed me. You see, I'm just going to continue to get to know him. I'm going to make that the number one priority of my life to know him, to chase after his perfect goodness, his perfect kindness, his perfect wisdom, his perfect love, and the perfect home he has prepared for me.

Verse 13, no dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I have focused. on this one thing, forgetting the past. And gang, that's huge. It's hard to move forward when you're driving with a windshield-sized rearview mirror. Again, in this context, he's saying forgetting that dead-end street of religion I used to be on and all the misdirected things I used to do and all the evil I used to do in the name of God. I didn't even know God.

He said, I want to forget all that past. And looking forward to what lies ahead, verse 14, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize. for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us. Some of you heard me talk before about Florence Chadwick. She was an accomplished swimmer who had already swam the English Channel. She decided to swim in the Pacific Ocean from Catalina Island back to the mainland of California. And like it is on many mornings, it was really foggy and very chilly,

and more than once she begged to be taken up out of the water and into the boat. But her mom from the boat kept encouraging her keep going, keep swimming, you can make it, you're getting closer, you're getting closer. but finally it's emotionally spent and physically spent she stopped swimming was pulled up out of the water it wasn't until she was in the boat that she discovered that the shore was less than 800 yards away at a news conference the next day she said all I could see was the fog I think if I could have seen the shore I would have made it

can I ask you can you see the shore Paul could Paul could I like getting to movies early I like watching trailers those previews of coming attractions get you fired up now in reality every now and then you see the movie

wasn't nearly as good as the trailer right and you walk away a bit disappointed not so with God the good things we love about this life and there are many the things that resonate deep in our soul those things that fill us with excitement

the things that we love best about this life guess what they're only previews of coming attractions Paul wrote this down too in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 We said, we've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies. The Spirit of God wets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in her heart so we'll never settle for less.

Man, I love that. He puts a little heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less because as good as it can get in this life. And it can get really good sometimes. It's still just a preview of coming attractions. The Bible says this hope, this living hope, will not disappoint. I don't know what you're going through today, but keep swimming. Press on, because listen to me, there's a day coming very soon, where every day will be full of joy, fulfillment, purpose, passion, accomplishment,

a place where all the things we love to do will be unhindered by evil or impurity because those things no longer exist. No more wrestling with temptation, because evil is history. It's a place where all of our inner longies will be fulfilled and it's going to be incomparable. Some of you I know live with physical pain every day of your life, but there is a day coming. There's a day coming where your body will be pain-free, flexible, quick, fit, perfect. No chemo, no counting carbs, no glasses, no hearing aids, no wheelchairs, no artificial limbs, no arthritis, no HMO hassles, brand-new bodies. Some of you live with emotional pain every day.

There will be no tears in heaven, no painful memories, no flashbacks, no. nightmares, no baggage, no broken hearts, every agony, every pain, every heartbreak, every injustice, every loss will be made right and turned into unspeakable joy. Can you see the shore? Listen, gang, we will work hard, and then we're going to rest. We will take some shots, and then we'll find healing. We will experience loss, and then we'll receive more than we ever could imagine. We will struggle for answers here, and then we'll know completely. We will endure disease and disappointment and heartbreak here, and then we're going to watch all that be erased forever. We will compassionally and courageously tell our friends about Jesus on this side of eternity,

and then we'll get to sit around heaven with them on the other side. So don't stop swimming. Keep pressing on. Get to know him. Let your hope be centered on Jesus because we're almost there. Have a great day to day. See you next time. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching, and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time. Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out? For more information about all digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint.comit.