Given at: Harvest Peoria High School Youth Group on March 19
Intro: What have you done in the last week? I’d like to get to know you a little better. So tell me where have you spent your time? Lay it all on me! I want to fill this up! [write answers on easel, dry erase, individually on paper] I’ve done the following: NCAA brackets, burning leaves, meetings, generosity
Prayer
Choices Game (You MUST choose one):
Silly choices: Pepsi or Coke, Cubs or Cardinals, Deep Sea Diving or Sky Diving, PC or Mac,
Serious choices: 1) Picture yourself owning your favorite car: Would you rather have it totaled the first week you own it, or continue driving it until it becomes a classic 2) You’re in a dating relationship with someone you really like: lasts a week or turns into a life long marriage, 3) Having a group of friends that: stops keeping in touch after high school or continues their connection through college, jobs, life changes, and more.
Why have you answered the way you did? [let them answer/ force them to answer]
When you put it into plain terms and a simple black or white choice, it is easy to see that we (as humans) want things to last.
Primary Purpose: Your life should be about things the Biblically everlasting.
What I want to do is take a little time to look at the Bible and find some things that will last. (I know its a crazy idea, looking to the bible for answers). Go ahead, you guys tell me, I’m sure you know some classic Sunday School answers. What are some everlasting things in the Bible?
[Have list below printed, along with one verse for each: God, Jesus, The Bible, The Holy Spirit, Mankind, Life for the Believer, Judgment for the Unbeliever] There are more, I have this whole sheet full, but we’ve hit the big ones: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Scripture, PEOPLE, Everlasting Life, Everlasting Judgment.
Now my wife also claims that laundry is everlasting, but I have yet to find that in the Bible.
Does anyone know how many hours there are in a week? [168]
Let’s do a little math [on easel if possible]. 7 days a week, sleeping 8 hours a night. That is a stretch I’m sure, when is the last time that someone here slept 8 hours? Anyway, [minus 56], I can also give you 30 minutes a meal, 3 meals a day, 7 days a week: 10.5 hours, round to 11, [do the math]. Those of you in school, I don’t think we should discount those hours, but I will… how long are you in school? [do the math.] You have [X] # of hours left. How are you spending it? Is your life about things that last? Are those [X hours] at all concerned with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Scripture, People, Everlasting Life, & Everlasting Judgment.
Going back to the earlier illustration: Wouldn’t we all like the first car we buy to last a long time? Don’t all of you looking for someone to date want it to last? (If you don’t, you shouldn’t be dating). Don’t you want to stay connected with your friends for a long time?
Here’s what nobody tells you: YOU NEED TO WORK AT THE THINGS THAT WILL LAST! Or they won’t last! Also, if you really want your life to be about the everlasting things in the Bible, you NEED TO WORK AT IT!
The Biblically everlasting, how can we focus our lives on what will last? How can we work at the things the Bible says will be here from now until forever?
If you remember, I called out seven. Can you tell me the seven Biblically everlasting things?
I’ve been told that you should NEVER have seven points… so let’s boil it down to three. God (Father, Son & Spirit), Scripture, People (who will go to everlasting life or judgment).
If these are the things that are eternal, let’s do a little time check. How did you do this last week? [bring easel back out, cross out temporal, Use everlasting stickers]
Example of being focused on the temporary: One time I was helping a friend move some furniture out of his dad's house. During the course of the work a can of soda tipped over onto the driveway (we were outside for this). His dad immediately gave a yelp, quickly ran to the garden house, ran back out and wasted no time spraying off the driveway. My friend, a little sheepish of his dad, shrugged and said "it's a new driveway." His dad was a little too concerned over something that won't even last his own lifetime, let alone eternity.
Okay, we’ve got God, Scripture, & People: Three things that will last. From the looks of things, we could all do a better job of focusing on things that will last. Any ideas?
How can your life be about God? (a God who will last!) [get them to answer]
These are probably answers you’ve heard before. If you really want to be about God, you need to get serious about it. (Matthew 18:8). What are some crazy ways to do this? Three ideas: 1) Set an hourly alarm on your phone. Pray every time it goes off for one minute. Give God one minute of every hour. It might be more than you’re giving him now. 2) Get up early, go on a walk, and pray. (If you’re like me in high school, that is a very crazy idea). 3) Send an email to God. It’s called journaling, but do it to your own address. Write down (or type down) what you’re thinking
How can you seriously make your life about the Scripture? (because it will last) [get them to answer] My ideas: 1) Read the Bible with someone. Read the same passage for a day, two days or a week; get together and share what you’ve learned. Accountability. 2) Memorize some verses with motions.. you might think I’m crazy, but it really works. [Romans 6:11] 3) Have a plan… this kindof goes along with #1, but I don’t know how many people just dive into Bible time without any thought of where they want to go. It can even be silly (go through the Bible and read the 3rd chapter of every book), just have a plan!
How can your life be about people? (people will last!) [get them to answer] My ideas: 1) Picture people as everlasting. Use the stickers if necessary. How will that change how you treat someone? If they’re unsaved, realize that your interaction will bring them closer to God or closer to hell. 2) Pick three people in your life that don’t know the Lord. Pray for them daily. (If you can’t think of three, then start by making some new (unsaved) friends) 3) Lastly, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Do you know if you will go to everlasting life or judgement? Because you are everlasting! God loves you, Jesus took your everlasting Judgement, but YOU have to choose.
Read II Corinthians 4:18. There are only a few things in this life that will last. What are you going to be about? I’ve given you three Biblically everlasting things to think about. I’ll bet that you need to work on shifting your focus in at least one of the areas. Be less about things that will go away, be more about things that will last. You don’t need to take any of the nine ideas above, but do something. Decide tonight a way that you will change your focus.
Ask yourself this question: At the end of my life, what do I want it to have been about?
Biblically Everlasting
Christ (specifically) II Timothy 2:10
Christ’s purpose: Ephesians 3:11
Comfort from God: II Thessalonians 2:16
David’s descendants: Psalm 89:4, 29
Dwelling in Heaven: II Corinthians 5:1
God: Genesis 21:33, Deuteronomy 33:27, Psalm 90:2, Isaiah 40:28, Romans 16:26, I Timothy 1:17
God’s Power: Romans 1:20
God’s love for Israel: I Kings 10:9
God as king: Psalm 29:10
God’s kingdom: Psalm 145:13, Daniel 7:14, I Timothy 6:16, II Peter 1:11
(Saints ruling in the kingdom: Daniel 7:27)
God’s Glory: I Peter 5:10
Graves of the dead: Psalm 49:11
Holy Spirit (specifically): Hebrews 9:14
Inheritance for believers: Hebrews 9:15
Judgment (for unbelievers): Matthew 18:8*, 25:41, 25:46*; II Thessalonians 1:9, Hebrews 6:2, Jude 1:7, 13
Mankind has an eternal home: Ecclesiastes 12:5
Life (for believers): Matthew 19:16, 29; Mark 10:17, 30; Luke 10:25, 18:18&30; John 3:15-16, 36, 4:14, 36*, 5:24, 6:40, 47, 54; 12:25, 17:2-3; Acts 13:46-48, Romans 2:7, 5:21, 6:22-23; Galatians 6:8, I Timothy 1:16, 6:12; Titus 1:2, 3:7; I John 1:2, 2:25, 5:11-13, 20; Jude 21
Scripture: Psalm 119:60, Matthew 5:18
Security of Salvation: John 10:28, II Timothy 2:10, Hebrews 5:9, 9:12
Unseen Things: II Corinthians 4:17-18*
Wisdom: Proverbs 8:23
Biblically Temporal
Things that are seen: II Corinthians 4:18
The earthly ‘tent’ of our body: II Corinthians 5:1
Dwellings (feast of booths) Leviticus 23:42-43
Biblical occurrences of the following words:
eternal
Gen: 21:33 49:26 [ALL]
Num: 10:8 [ALL]
Deu: 33:27 [ALL]
1Ki: 10:9 [ALL]
Psa: 24:7 24:9 29:10 49:11 89:4 89:29 90:2 106:31 110:4 133:3 145:13 [ALL]
Ecc: 12:5 [ALL]
Isa: 40:28 [ALL]
Dan: 7:14 7:27 [ALL]
Mat: 18:8 19:16 19:29 25:41 25:46 [ALL]
Mar: 3:29 10:17 10:30 [ALL]
Luk: 10:25 16:9 18:18 18:30 [ALL]
Joh: 3:15 3:16 3:36 4:14 4:36 5:24 5:39 6:27 6:40 6:47 6:54 6:68 10:28 12:25 12:50 17:2 17:3 [ALL]
Act: 13:46 13:48 [ALL]
Rom: 1:20 2:7 5:21 6:22 6:23 16:26 [ALL]
2Co: 4:17 4:18 5:1 [ALL]
Gal: 6:8 [ALL]
Eph: 3:11 [ALL]
2Th: 1:9 2:16 [ALL]
1Ti: 1:16 1:17 6:12 6:16 [ALL]
2Ti: 2:10 [ALL]
Tit: 1:2 3:7 [ALL]
Heb: 5:9 6:2 9:12 9:14 9:15 13:20 [ALL]
1Pe: 5:10 [ALL]
2Pe: 1:11 3:18 [ALL]
1Jo: 1:2 2:25 3:15 5:11 5:12 5:13 5:20 [ALL]
Jud: 1:6 1:7 1:13 1:21 [ALL]
Rev: 14:6 [ALL]
Eternity
Pro: 8:23 [ALL]
Jud: 1:25 [ALL]
Temporary
Gen: 20:1 23:4 28:4 47:4 [ALL]
Lev: 23:34 23:42 23:43 [ALL]
Deu: 16:13 16:16 31:10 [ALL]
Jdg: 5:17 [ALL]
2Sa: 11:11 [ALL]
2Ch: 8:13 [ALL]
Ezr: 3:4 [ALL]
Neh: 8:14 8:15 8:16 8:17 [ALL]
2Co: 4:18 [ALL]
1Pe: 1:17 [ALL]
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