LIVING WITH HEAVEN IN VIEW
By Roger Williams and David Riggs
Intro.
A. The early Christians suffered persecution because they were
followers of Christ.
1. There was no hostility at first. Acts 2:44-47
2. This soon changed. Acts 4:21; 5:17-20, 40-42
3. Stephen was killed. Acts 6 and 7
4. Saul made havoc of the church. Acts 8:1-3
a. The shoe was about to be placed on the other foot for
Paul; the persecutor would become the persecuted.
Acts 9:16
b. Paul felt that boasting was foolishness, but he was
compelled to do it to defend his apostleship, and to
destroy the Corinthian's loyalty to false-apostles. 2
Cor. 11:22-28
B. We stop to raise some questions here: "Why did Paul (and others
like him) go through all these things?" "How was he able to
endure them?" "What inspired him to have such dedication and
zeal for the Lord?"
1. We give some suggestions gleaned from the writings of Paul.
I. PAUL RECOGNIZED THAT THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME. 2 Cor. 5:1-10
A. Paul said, "We walk by faith and not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:8
1. In this context, Paul is showing that "our faith in someday
being with the Lord" becomes our motivator.
2. This is what it means to "live by faith" or "walk by faith."
3. Our faith in being with the Lord moves and motivates us in
this life. It is responsible for the way we live.
B. We, too, must fully realize that this world is not our home.
1. Anything we might enjoy in this life is only temporary.
They are not ours for eternity.
2. One day we will leave all things of this life behind.
C. We are like Abraham who lived his life as a stranger in a
foreign land. Heb. 11:8-10
1. Peter beseeched us as pilgrims and strangers to abstain from
fleshly lusts. 1 Pet. 2:11
a. The word "pilgrims" in the Greek is "parepidemos"
which is a combination of the words: "parepi" -
(alongside of, by the side of), and "demos" - (people of
a foreign country or city).
b. Thayer defines it: "One who comes from a foreign
country into a city or land to reside there by the side
of the natives...in the NT, a metaphor in reference to
heaven as the native country, as one who sojourns on
earth..."
D. Our citizenship is in heaven. Phil. 3:20-21
1. God has already given us citizenship before we arrive there.
2. Thus, so far as this earthly life is concerned, we are but
strangers and pilgrims, passing through, and we will not let
fleshly lusts take control or win the battle for our souls.
II. PAUL RECOGNIZED THERE IS A BETTER PLACE, A PLACE OF REST, AN
ETERNAL HOME.
A. Paul said that to depart and be with Christ was far better.
Phil. 1:21-23
1. As we live in this life, there are many discomforts and
pains that we must endure.
2. Paul's understanding of this is clearly seen as he wrote to
the Corinthians. 2 Cor. 4:16-18
a. Paul speaks of the discomforts of this life as "light
afflictions."
b. He also added that they were "but for a moment."
c. Paul describes them as being weighed in a balance
(scales), and the afflictions in this life are very
insignificant when compared to exceeding weight of
glory.
d. He stated in Romans that there is no comparison to the
sufferings of this present time to the glory which is to
come. Rom. 8:18
(1) Paul is not suggesting that pain and suffering are
easy to endure, but as one lives a life with a view
of heaven, they were overshadowed by the great
reward that is to come.
B. We must adopt the attitude of Paul.
1. We can endure the hardships of this life, knowing they will
be brief, and anticipating a far better place.
III. PAUL HAD CONFIDENCE IN THE PROMISES OF GOD.
A. The life of Paul was indeed a life of faith and confidence in
the promises of God.
1. Remember, Paul said, "We have a building from God," not
"we might have a building from God."
a. That's the faith and confidence Paul lived with. 2 Tim.
1:12
2. He lived knowing that if his life were taken from him at any
moment, there was a wonderful abode reserved for him. 2
Tim. 4:7-8
a. Why? Because the Lord promised there is such a place.
John 14:1-3
B. Paul knew the promises made to Abraham and the fulfillment of
them.
1. We know that the promise of heaven is just as certain. Heb.
6:11-19
C. It is a tragedy that those who claim to be Christians are
filled with doubt, fear, despair, and uncertainty. 2 Tim. 1:7;
Rom. 8:15
1. Let us have confidence in the promises of God.
Concl.
A. We have answered our questions: "How was Paul able to endure
all that he suffered? What was the secret of his success? How
did he manage to have such zeal?"
1. The answer is: "He lived with heaven in view."
a. His all-consuming goal was to reach his eternal home.
Phil. 3:13-14
B. Let us live the kind of life Paul lived, realizing that this
world is not our home, that there is a better place, the
heavenly home, and that God will fulfill His promises He had
made to us.
C. If you haven't been living that kind of life (with heaven as
your all-consuming goal), you can change all that today.
1. Why not start living "with heaven in view" today?