 Amen. Well, thank you all for being here tonight and I want to firstly thank pastor for this opportunity It's men's preaching nights are fun, but this is much more fun The biggest reason is you get to wear the lapel mic. Just kidding Because I'm a walker, so if you see me walking all around That's what I'm doing But the title of my sermon this evening is in view of the eternal in view of the eternal and this is gonna tie into Brother Garrett's sermon from Sunday night. I wrote my sermon before it But it's funny just how God will work things together like that So you're there in James 4. I just want to read one verse from James 4 and really the topic I came up with this topic it they came up in a near conversation that I had and recently and I contemplated it Frequently when I was in the Philippines just because being there and all doing all the soul and stuff It's kind of something you think about like when you view your life From an eternal perspective and when you look at your life, it's often easy Especially coming on a midweek service on a Wednesday It's often easy to only focus on the things that are here and now the problems that you've gotten your week What you got to do at work tomorrow, which you're gonna eat for dinner when you go home But we need to view our lives At an eternal from an eternal perspective Because that it'll change how we live when you view your life from the eternal perspective With a full long term not just the long term of a couple years the long term of eternity So that's what I want to talk to you about tonight and James 4 just looked at verse 14 James 4 14 says whereas, you know, not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeared for a little time and then vanished at the way. This is really Something a verse that gets you thinking when you realize our life is but a vapor our life is so short on this earth and we only have so much time and and Kind of tying into brother Garrett sermon from Sunday night. You've already packed your backpack, okay? Well, this sermon is you've already packed your backpack. You already know what you're doing but Are you going with it and what's the right perspective and attitude and view life to have In all the decisions you make in life have to be through through through this through viewing the eternal so Turn of you would to Luke chapter 19 Luke chapter 19 So my first point and really this could be a one-point sermon But I made it three points because that's what you're supposed to do when you write a sermon is make it three points But the first point is perspective the first point is perspective you need to view the eternal as more valuable than the present and when I say the eternal I mean heaven and the things of God that influence eternity the influence That influence eternity the influence Your spot in heaven. I'm not talking about salvation. I'm talking about rewards in heaven and all the things you do after you're saved So we've read James 4 14 look down actually I'm gonna read for you Colossians 4 before we get to Luke Colossians 3 2 says set your affections on things above Not on things on the earth and this is a great verse talk about not being tied up in the things that are on this earth again, this really could be a one-point sermon about focusing on the eternal not focusing on the things of this earth and Because we need to view the eternal as more important you first the only way you're gonna live a life Where you're serving God a hundred percent where you're going places and doing things that God wants you to do is if you viewing The eternal as more important than the present because if you're stuck in the present if you're stuck in this is my job This is my family and this is my you know place I grew up in or whatever you're gonna be stuck there and you're limiting your your Impact that you could have on your eternity and on the the eternal destiny of many other souls And we only have a short a short time to impact this look at Look at Luke 19 in verse 15 Luke 19 15 says and it came to pass that when he was returned having received the kingdom This is a parable Jesus is giving Then he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money that he might know how much every man had gained by trading Verse 16 then came the first saying Lord thy pound death gained ten pounds and he said unto him Well that good servant because that has been faithful in a very little thing have that our authority over ten cities And the second came saying Lord thy pound hath gained five pounds and he said likewise to him Be thou also over five cities so what this is really teaching us and obviously this is just a parable But this is reiterated multiple times throughout the New Testament We're gonna go to a couple different places But what you do on this earth the things you do for God on this earth Determine your position in a Thor and authority and responsibility in heaven in the millennial reign in eternity That's what I'm talking about. That's what I want you to gain from this is the servant that gained ten pounds It's over ten cities the servant get that gained five pounds is over five cities You don't want to be the servant that gained one pound is over one city Although that's still amazing because you'll still be in heaven. You'll still be serving the Lord Jesus Christ You want to have an eternal impact And the only way you do that is having the right perspective having an eternal perspective You're not just accidentally gonna be going through your life living for the world and suddenly you're gonna be like I've got all these heavenly rewards doesn't work like that. You have to be focused and I mean in Matthew it says well done thou good and faithful Servant you have to be faithful you need to be doing this day in day out decade after decade a lot of people say You know the Christian life is not measured in years. It's measured in decades Because it's the same thing if you're trying to grow a bank account or you're trying to grow some stocks Or something like that using a worldly illustration, right? If you're trying to grow some, you know Financial investment or something it doesn't double it doesn't you don't get your investment back after one year You don't get it back to two years or even ten years you get it back after 40 years 50 years Your retirement whatever it is. It's the same way with God You're not gonna see the immediate results. You're not just gonna bank your entire Eternity, you know in one year in five years You're gonna do it over the course of decades or however long you you have on this earth and God wants you to produce for him and the more you produce the more he rewards you the more responsibility and Rewards that you get in heaven hence the servant that did more the servant that gained ten Pounds is given ten cities and the servant that's given gained five pounds is given five cities God's always very very fair how he works like that So turn if you would to first Corinthians chapter 3 first cringe chapter 3 this is another passage about this talking about How what we do on this earth affects eternity and this is all the build-up, right? This is about changing your perspective. You have to realize that what you do right now affects not just your life and the blessings and Chastisement that you receive from God in this life how you so how you reap it affects eternity It affects heaven it affects the position for eternity and that's a hard concept for us as humans to grasp because we're stuck in such a micro You know such a small time frame of our lives especially if you're young it's even harder You know when you're 16 all you can think about is being 18 And then when you're 18 all you can think about is being 20 and then when you're 20 You know, but it's it's all these short increments. You're we're very Stuck in these short time frame when you realize your life is just this little blip and the timeline of the entire earth That God created us on here and then eternity is forever in the future We can't totally grasp that concept, but if you get close if you start realizing, okay instead of you know, you know What you do now the few years that you have on this earth now 80 90 100 years will however long you live or however long you're saved for and serving God that impacts eternity that impacts forever that has a lot of power what you do on this earth has a lot of power because it's impacting eternity and Carnal things the things of this world the things all around us are temporal and they have no eternal value look at first Corinthians 3 in Verse 11 first Corinthians chapter 3 in verse 11 says For other kind of foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ Now if any man build upon that foundation talking about works after you're saved if any man build upon this foundation Gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it Excuse me for because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is If any man's work abide verse 14 which he had built there on he shall receive a war of reward if any man's work Shall be burned. He shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved yet. So it's by fire So notice how it says gold silver precious stone back in verse 12 wood hay stubble Okay, this is I love when God contrasts stuff for us because it makes it a lot easier for us to see the differences He's contrasting look if you build upon the foundation once you're saved and you have Jesus Christ as your foundation If you build on that gold silver precious stones You're building things of eternal value that make it through the fire the fire shall try every man's work of what sort It is those are the things that make it through the fire Those are the things that have eternal value Contrasting that with the person who gets saved And then they live their life for worldly things for carnal things and they've built wood hay and stubble Now there's a place for wood hay and stubble, right? We need we need wood for different things in our life We need stubble and and these different things, but they have no eternal value is what what Paul's is in the Bible showing us here. So we want to the Most that we can or you know to the the maximum that we're able we want to live our life and produce and and and Bailed gold silver precious stones Because then you don't lose that at the judgment. See of Christ. You don't lose the wood hand stubble now Our lives are gonna have wood hand stubble We all you know as men you've got jobs different, you know things are just wood hand stubble and you can't control that You know doing your taxes is wood hand stubble, but we all got to do our taxes, you know, it's that's wood hand stubble You don't get any reward for that you but you got to do it, you know to to have a You know life on this earth where you're not stuck in some prison somewhere But you want to have the gold silver precious stones You want to build the eternal things like being in church on a Wednesday night I'm gonna get to get to some of that later But this is really just to focus your perspective and help you realize I want you to see that what you do on this earth is Super important it matters because it impacts eternity because it impacts The rewards in the end what you have through eternity what you have in heaven And we're all stand at the judgment see to Christ and give an account second current themes 510 says you don't have to Turn there I'll just read it for you It says for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according To that he had done whether it be good or whether it be bad again the contrast Are you gonna live for God? Are you gonna focus on the eternal things the things that have spiritual value the gold silver precious stones? Are you gonna focus on the wood hand stubble and waste your life? So to speak when you're gonna get to heaven right where we were if look down at 1st Corinthians 3 again It says in verse 15 of any man's work shall be burned. He shall suffer loss But he himself shall be saved yet so is by fire. So you still go to heaven Doesn't matter, you know if you're living your life for God or you're living your life for the world But says you'll suffer loss because everything you did on this life will be wasted or much of it If you live for the world if you live for all the carnal things if you bailed the wood hand stubble You're gonna lose it all You might enjoy this life. You might enjoy the time on this earth You might have a nicer house or a better car or whatever it is, but you're gonna lose it You're gonna suffer loss So we need to change our perspective. We need to focus on The eternal go to Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6 So just to recap your perspective we're talking about your life in view of the eternal your perspective needs to view The eternal as more valuable than the present because carnal things are temporal and will vanish away I'm not saying you can't have them or you shouldn't do them or we'll all have some wood Hey and stubble, but you want to focus on the gold silver precious stones the things that have eternal value So you have to change your perspective number two you have to change your pursuits You have to change your pursuits You need to dedicate your time and resources Towards things that influence eternal towards building that gold silver and precious stone and again You know this all ties together it all ties together because like I said earthly pursuits are fine We're all gonna have the wood hand stubble, but they're lost value They're lost value to you, but they're also lost value to the kingdom of heaven because that's time. That's money That's effort that you're not spending serving God. You're spending it over here doing whatever worldly things of no value Whether you whether it's something you need to do like go into your job or you know cooking whatever But it's not something of eternal value versus over here. You're soul-winning. You're going to church. You're maximizing You're maximizing your gold silver precious stones. That's what you want to do Both because it's benefits you it benefits your attorney, but it benefits the kingdom of God Look down at Matthew 6. There's so many so many good passages here in Matthew 6 We're just gonna read a little bit of it Look at Matthew 6 and verse 19 Matthew 6 19 says lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth or moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven when either moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal I love these verses. This is we're always very applicable growing up in the northeast where they salt the roads and Everything rust your car rust your everything rusts in California. Maybe the thief part is more applicable to us if you live in if you live in somewhere like the Bay Area, but Regardless that would hate stubble all those worldly things they all rust they all corrupt They're all burned up in the end the eternal things don't they never waste away It's it's it's like a piggy bank in heaven where thieves do not break through nor steal. Let's keep reading in verse 21 It says For where your treasure is there will your heart be also Verse 22 the light of the body is the eye if therefore then I be evil be single that whole body shall be full of light But if thine I be evil that whole body shall be full of darkness if therefore the light that is in the be darkness How great is that darkness? No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else He will hold to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and mammon So what is what Jesus saying here? He's saying you can't do both You can't focus all of your energy in your life on the wood hand stubble You can't focus at all on the carnal things and on him and on God and on the eternal things Why look down at verse 21 again for where your treasure is there will your heart be also Where your treasure is there will your heart? Be also because God knows your heart. I don't know your heart Nobody none of us humans can see each other's hearts But God knows where your heart is that if your heart is after the things of this world if it's after you know Pursuing that next promotion pursuing that next career that house bigger house next car faster car Whatever the thing is and it's not on God your heart isn't set on the things of God God knows that and where your treasure is there will your heart be also so it works both ways It works both ways. God knows where your heart is that based on where you're spending your time where you're spending your money where you're spending all your Your your resources and look at verse the end of verse 24 where it says he cannot serve God and Mammon you can't do both you can't try and please the world You can't try and have you know desire the things of the world and desire the things of God It just as an example. I Back when I lived in Vermont. I had a Jeep some of you have seen it Pictures of it, but that was me. I'm kind of an impulse Friday afternoon purchase I'd saved all my money from working for the summer and I buy this Jeep right and I'm just out having fun with it and doing all This stuff while I'm getting sucked into the wood hay and stubble direction and then I realized My grades in school aren't as good as they should be they've gone down. Oh, I'm not going so many twice a week I'm going so many once a week. Maybe I'm missing a week here and there and I realized that's sucking away That's sucking me away from the things that have eternal value the things that should be focused on And what value is it bringing my life in the long run? Some fun It's not worth it, so I sold it, but sometimes you get stuck in that in that, you know Negative feedback loop with things in your life for longer But you're wasting your time you're wasting your talents you're wasting your money And you're losing out on rewards when you're focused on pursuing the things of the world when you are focused on those things I'm not saying you can't have them But when that's what your heart desires, that's what is wrong. That's when God has a problem with it Let's read more of Matthew 6 look down at verse 25 Matthew 6 25 says Therefore I say unto you take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yet for your body What you shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment Behold the fowls of the air for they so not neither do they reap nor gather into barns so your heavenly father feed at them Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit into his stature and why take he thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow they toil not neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Wherefore if God so clothed the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven Shall he not much more cloth you oh ye of little faith Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithal? Should we be clothed for after all these things notice do the Gentiles seek? This is what everyone in the world is worried about they're worried about well What are we gonna eat? What are we gonna drink? What are we gonna be clothed with now in America? It's more like well what is so-and-so saying social media? Oh, what am I gonna do you know on this next vacation or whatever? Like it's less of the necessities more of the the pleasures of life, but it's the same thing That's what everyone in the world is worried about they're all worried about You know what they're doing at their job and all these different things and some of those things I'm sure you're worrying about we all have worries like that, but notice what notice what Jesus says At Verse 32 it says for your heavenly father knoweth that you have need of all these things All these things that you're worried about God knows that you are worrying about him He knows that you have them verse 33 notice But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Take therefore no thought for the mar for the mar shall take thought for the day of itself Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof So look at verse 33. I mean you've all heard it before right but seek you The kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. What's Jesus saying? He's saying Seek the kingdom of God first see eternal things first put the things of God first in your life Don't spend all your time and all your energy Worrying about all the things of this world that you have to worry about and look what it says all these things shall be added unto you God will take care of all the worries in your life and This is something that that I realized When I came to California, too The only way God will give you the worldly things the earthly life The earthly things the carnal things in your life that you desire the things you really want you really want You know the next bigger house you want the better car whatever it is Those are the only two illustrations. I can come up with right now for some reason Whatever it is Carnally that you want that you're desiring the only way God is gonna give you those things is when you stop seeking them When you stop desiring them when you start desiring him and seeking God Because then you don't care because he doesn't want your heart to be set on the things of the world And that's how God protects your heart by not giving you those things since you're just like what is in God giving me these things You know I want I need this. No, you need to seek him You follow him. You need to put your time and your energy and your focus on things that have eternal value on the things of God Not on the things of this world Notice it says seek the first the kingdom of God you know you need to desire and and Work and put your effort into the things that have eternal value and I'm gonna talk about that in a minute Don't worry. I'm not just talking in vaguely here Don't pursue and love the things of this world Because they all vanish away and if you are just stuck on desiring something in this world Some carnal thing and you're hanging on to that you're never gonna get it because God will only give it to you when you stop Desiring it that is the only way For your heart to not be set on those things of the world Turn to 1st John chapter 2 1st John chapter 2 You'll find your heart where your time and your money is I think this is some quote from from Andrew Carnegie or somebody like that Where it's like if you know me a man Where he spends his money, I'll show you where his heart is there's maybe I'm not paraphrasing right, but Where you're spending your time this time is money if you where you're spending your time where you're spending your money That's where your heart's gonna be So if you're not tithing because you say oh, I gotta save for that next House I got saved for that next vacation or that next whatever you're desiring your hearts over here in the world It's not over here with God Right if you're spending all your time if you're missing church just because I don't feel like it I can work extra. I can do this or whatever God can give you much more than that God can give you more than the couple hours of overtime you'd make skipping church so Where you're spending your time where you're spending your money That's your heart is so you need to be tithing not only is that a direct application But spend your time and your energy focus on the things that got focused on the things that have eternal value You're there in 1st John 2 I'm gonna read you real quick Galatians 6 7 you don't have to turn there it says Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever man so that's really also reap we talked about that for he that so it Is flesh shelf the flesh reap corruption But he that so it to the spirit shelf the spirit reap life everlasting so it's saying you're sowing to the flesh you're gonna reap corruption and outside of the context of salvation right if you're sowing all the Woodhane stubble you're gonna reap corruption it's all gonna be burned up You're gonna lose it all versus if you're sowing in the spirit and you're walking in the spirit and you're Laying up the gold silver and the precious stones. That's gonna endure Look at 1st John 2 15 1st John chapter 2 and verse 15 says Love not the world neither the things They're in the world if any man loved the world the love of the father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father Buzz of the world verse 17 And the world passes the way and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever notice Another great verse 1st John 2 15 where it says love not the world I mean we could end there or it's just like don't love all this stuff Don't love the things of this world Don't don't desire it if you give that up if you stop Desiring and focusing on all the things of the world your life will get infinitely easier Because you won't be constantly fighting God because you'll be like I want this God and God will be like I can't give that to you It's gonna ruin your life It's you're gonna get out church and do all this bad stuff It will make your life so much easier if you just let go of the things of the world and you realize as a Christian Especially one in a church like this you're not gonna have all the things that your friends have you're not gonna have all the things that the world has You know you're not gonna live in this big a house necessarily you won't drive as nice a car necessarily you won't go on as many vacations If you're seeking all of that God's not gonna give it to you and Then look at verse 17. It says and the world passeth away and the lust thereof all the things you want All this new car this fancy thing whatever it's all gonna be gone even in a couple years Our society moves so fast like you buy a new car now before you even paint it off. There's a new one Then that's why leasing that's why everybody leases now because it's like up Then I could just get the new one and the new one and the new one and all you're wasting all of that No eternal value now. We all need a car at least in California, it's a good thing to have but Don't your heart on that don't desire and say well I want this specific one and it has to be this and this Don't focus on those things because everything in this world will one day burn up It's got no eternal value Turn to mark chapter 4 mark chapter 4 so We're talking about your pursuits, so we talked about perspective where you need to view the eternal as more valuable than the present Why because the things you do in the present affect your eternal your eternal rewards and then pursuits We talked about you need to dedicate your time your resources towards influencing the eternal not only on the car No, I get it. We all have to have some wood Some wood hay and stubble in our lives, but you want to focus on the eternal things you want to focus on the things that have eternal value and This third point now is people so you've got perspective pursuits people so I alliterated it to this but People you need to focus on eternal souls because that will have the greatest value That has the greatest impact right we've talked about how it affects your life We've talked about how it affects your rewards in heaven by focusing on spiritual things on eternal things on your Bible reading on soul Winning on church those sort of things as opposed to the things of this world But how does it affect others? This is by far the the greatest impact that you can have So look at mark 4 look down at mark chapter 4 and verse 18 it says and these are they which are sewn among thorns such as hear the word and The cares of this world and the seafoleness of riches and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word and it become it on So this is the parable of sower that Jesus is teaching And he's teaching that you know some people to hear the word they you know They receive it they get saved But then notice the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things entering in choke the word And it become it on fruitful These are the Christians these are the people Who all they care about the things of this world the things that they can see now the things that they can buy the things that they can you know currently look at and possess and notice this is and it become it on fruitful That is such a shame Does it not just kill you when you see someone get out of church and Stop soul winning and stop serving God and you realize they're wasting their life because they're losing their These everything will be eternal value and they're becoming unfruitful, but why they're saved they're gonna go to heaven Why is this so bad because they're hurting everyone else who's not saved? They're losing all the souls that they could be winning might not get reached All the people all the impact and the things they could do for God They're not doing because they're unfruitful because they're carnal What are some examples of this there are tons of examples of this in the Bible lot? Lot is he's lot has got to be one of the most pathetic Bible characters to me Right, you've got it was your uncle right and you move with Abraham You move from earthy calories, and then you move all the way to To Canaan land and you're there where God wants you to be and suddenly it's like well I see the well-watered plains of Sodom why because you got lots of cows, and it's like okay money That's what lots saw that's why he went to Sodom and he went from being in the plane to being in the gate of Sodom to living Inside Sodom it just sucked him in the world sucked him in the money sucked him the lust sucked him in And what happened then completely destroy his life What did he do his family completely destroyed? I mean his wife was so stuck in this worldly mentality that she turned into a pill of salt because she couldn't even She had to look back. She couldn't Even she couldn't even give up any of it When they realized it was all gonna be destroyed when God destroyed Sodom his lots wife couldn't even fathom that she looked back She couldn't give any of it up Same thing with lot Don't be unfurthful Don't become carnal you have to realize when you get back slim when you get out of the Christian life You're not only destroying the potential inheritance and Potential you know spiritual blessings and rewards that you could have you're destroying other people's chances to get saved You're destroying everyone else around you. You're destroying their Christian lives, too whether you know it or not and Another thing you notice the false prophets they never preach on on the eternal things They're always talking about your life now how to live your best life now, right? They're focused on all the carnal things They're focused on all the carnal things But it's just so sad It's so sad when you see a Christian who's doing all the right things They're in a church like this or they're in another independent Baptist church and they're soul winning and they're you know on fire for God And then they just completely throw that away, you know, they throw away their Christian life They throw away their testimony why cuz some little care of the world suck them in I could get a better job And I could move here. It doesn't matter. There's not a good church in this city. Is that worth it? Might be on this earth, but is it gonna be worth it in the long run that we're talking about? No Not only are you is that person giving up all of their eternal? rewards and and potential But all the people around them who either would get saved if they preach some of the gospel, you know Their kids their family their siblings all these other people who they influence They're hurting those people's chances. They're hurting hurting those people potential for eternal, you know rewards and also The chance to get saved and that's just that's just the worst thing But let's keep reading in mark 4 that was the negative right? So you've got the people who just get sucked into the world They just get sucked into the cares of this world and they become unfruitful and they're worthless to God why what what is Why does God have any why would God want to answer their prayers or help them in? In you know their time of trouble when they've just you know Completely just ditched God's commandments and basically said no I don't want to live for you God I'm gonna go do all the things of the world even though I know it's wrong You know who's some Christian who sat under preaching they know it They've read their Bible through cover to cover and they just ditch out all the things of God and they're just Go whole hog into the things of the world Why what is God thinking like? He must be so disappointed in these people like I don't want to be one of those people like That is it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God You better be scared out of your chair if you think that you can sit in a church like this and go out and live Like the world and God's not gonna you know chastise you Yeah, don't become unfruitful don't become carnal. It's the biggest waste of your life. It's the biggest waste You might as well have just gone saved and died next day because you're hurting other people you're hurting other people by rejecting by getting rid of your Christian life and going into all the sins of the world But enough of that. Let's let's go to the positive now and in mark 4 back in mark 4 look at verse 20 It says and these are they which are sown in good ground Such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit some 30 fold some 60 and some 100 So these are the good Christians. This is everyone who gets saved they hear the word of God They receive it they get in shirts and notice they get soul winning some 30 fold some 60 some 100 fold So these bring forth fruit. This is directly talking about soul winning and soul winning is by far You know based on what Jesus explains in the Bible and everything that we know by far the thing that has the greatest spiritual impact Why because it's not just impacting you and giving you rewards in eternity You're changing the destiny of an eternal soul Someone else all the money that you make an entire year doesn't come close to the value of one soul it'd be better to go soul winning and not have a job and and not make any money that the trade-off isn't even we can't even Equate the two they're not even close to being equal But a lot of people think well, you know, I can do all this things the world This is not that important because they're not seeing the eternal back to point one perspective You need to view the eternal is more important You need to view not just your eternal rewards, but everyone around you their soul everyone is not saved Their eternal soul better that better be more important to you Winning them winning your lost neighbor winning people in Fresno you've never met That should be more important to you than the things of this world because it has such a greater impact and We're rewarded For time but also for results also for the number of souls we get that's why I love about Fresno It's so receptive here. It's the best soul winning. I've done in this country Whether East Coast, Texas, West Coast, it's amazing like we go out on a Sunday this You know relatively small church and we can have ten people saved, you know, that's amazing and God sees that and the soul winning that you do all the energy and effort you put in to your Bible reading and coming to church But especially soul winning that shows God how profitable you are That shows God the value that you're creating not just in your own Christian life in your own, you know eternal bank account so to speak But it shows how profitable you are for the kingdom of God because God is not willing to any should perish But that all should come to repentance, right? God doesn't want anyone to go to hell and every time a carnal Christian goes into sin Baa and stops soul winning and get just their testimony falls apart That upsets God or it would upset me at least that That because that's someone who's no longer bringing any value to the kingdom of heaven That's what is soul winning is the most important thing 100% the most important thing so in conclusion go to Matthew 10 if you would It's a long conclusion those don't get your hopes up not yet Matthew 10 What do we learn well? Perspective change your perspective It's easy to get caught up in the things of this world But you need to have any the perspective that the eternal is more important than the present and that You know doing things of eternal value is more important than doing things That you know our carnal that will vanish away Pursuits you have to dedicate your time your resources towards the things of God towards soul winning towards serving God and Doing things of eternal value rather than spending all your time focusing on the next thing you can buy or the next You know whatever thing you want or your flesh wants and then people need to focus on eternal souls Why we just talked about it. They have the greatest value both for your Eternal reward, but also that soul that person you talked to at the door That's worth more than anything that we all possess earthly speaking and in conclusion This is a big one. You need to be willing to forsake all and pursue things of eternal value in your life This is an easy one to talk about but it's not super easy to It's not a super easy point to kind of actually Realize and I've prayed this before I've prayed that I never want to be too comfortable in my life to where if God Calls me or sends me somewhere else or there's somewhere I can go where I can have a bigger eternal impact I never want to be too comfortable where I don't go because something of the world is holding me there Whether it's my job. I just can't leave. I've got such a good job. I can't leave You know I've lived in this this on this farm or my house or wherever my entire life I can't leave I never want to get caught in that because when you're caught in that you're limiting yourself because you're limiting Because you're being constrained by something of the world and this kind of came into light when when I was in the Philippines and I remember there's one of the hotels we stayed in and I'm there and it's this tiny bathroom I'm trying to take a shower. There's no shower curtains to the showers just sprays the entire bathroom There's no toilet paper, and I'm like what is this place? Like I was just getting upset like I was getting upset in my mind And I'm just like how do you live here like what there's no toilet paper, but What you had to I thought about that, but then I thought Well, what about all the soul winning here and then when you compare that And you say okay, I'm giving up some things of the world. You're giving up some things of the world the people living there are Lacking compared to our standard and what we have in this church in this country But the soul in the souls that are available this receptiveness You that's those are the kind of places where you can become a spiritual millionaire so to speak because there's so much potential There's so many souls and it's even saving you can go and save as many as you want It's all about the time you invest And we've got a good here in Fresno compared to the rest of the country But it's another level when you're on a country you when you're in a country like the Philippines and you all of you They've been to mission strips know what I'm talking about and it's like you might be living in a little hut or a cottage so to speak You know, you're not gonna have a car. You're not gonna have somewhere nice to stay But the people that go there and the people that give things up the missionaries that go Huge respect for them because they're giving up all the things of the world all the things that us and and everyone else is kind of seeking after You know all the possessions the house the job when you give that up and you go to someplace like that all of Eternal value because the only way to turn physical things that you own Into something of eternal value, right? There's the saying you can't take it with you, right? Paul says it I brought nothing into this world and a certain I can carry nothing out. It's not like you can take your car It's not like you can take your clothes or your shoes or all whatever your favorite possession is You can't take that to heaven, but what can you do? You can take it as a reward. How the only way is by giving it up The only way is by giving it up You don't get any reward for having it on this earth You don't get a reward for how much stuff you accumulate. It's not a contest of how rich we can get here You know gain isn't godliness as the Bible says But when you give those things up as the disciples it says in Luke 5 Well, actually, let's read Matthew 10 where I had you turn you're there in Matthew 10 look at verse 39 It says he that findeth his life Shall lose it. This is the person who's you know seeking all the things they're trying to have their life perfect on this earth They're gonna lose it because they're only focused on the sound themselves and on carnal things But and he that lose it his life for my sake Shall find it when you really let that sink in it's basically saying when you lose your life when you give up your life when you You know forsake the things of this life All the things that make you comfortable all the things that make you happy doesn't matter if you lose friends job Possessions your earthly identity, right? You're whether that's your career or whatever when you give up all of those things when you lose it all For my sake Jesus says you find it You don't find it here on this earth you'll find it You don't find it here on this earth and there's so many examples of this there's so many examples of this in the Bible I mean Hebrews 11 you can turn there if you like Hebrews 11 is basically an entire chapter of Dedicated to people who viewed the eternal as more important than the temporal than this earth and it's a chapter of About people who gave things up Moses gave up Egypt the Bible says here. Let me go there. Oh, yeah. I'm here in Hebrews 11 it says Verse 25 Hebrews 11 25 it says about Moses esteeming the reproach or choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ Greater riches not greater riches on this earth Moses realized by giving that up. He's gaining eternal reward Greater riches the reproach of Christ is greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for respect unto the recompense of the reward Look at verse 16 Hebrews 11 16 says but now they desire a better country that is in heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for yet prepared for them a city. It's a beautiful verse But I want to focus on The first part where it says but they desire a better country Because they're good things on this earth They're good things and you can enjoy a lot of blessings here But none of it none of it compares to heaven and when you put and seek your when you put the focus of your life and You seek the things of God things that have eternal value It says it's a better country And you can definitely as America falls apart more you can definitely see that but this entire chapter this entire chapter by faith all these people Jacob Moses, you know David Samuel all these people in this chapter did these things, but it's all because they had the eternal in mind None of them are stuck worrying about the next election or the next new car that comes out and the next anything You can see I've got a problem with cars because that's like the only the only example I can give but None of these people were stuck in the temporal they're focused on the eternal they're focused on a better country And that's what I want to leave you with tonight is don't waste your eternity Don't waste your time on this earth because this is all you have to affect your eternity It's all the time you have to affect Other people in this city Other family members friends go workers. It's all the time you have to affect their eternity by giving them the gospel, you know by your your You know your testimony and serving God and soul-winning and don't ever get too comfortable Don't ever get too comfortable where you don't want to give something up for God Will you say well God? I know you really want me to do something But I mean look at Moses right if you if there's something in the world that you're hanging on to if you tell God No, I'm not I can't do that. You know, I can't be a pastor. I can't you know do X Y and Z Look at Moses, right? Moses told God I can't speak God made him speak anyways, right? You look at their there are multiple multiple characters like that in the Bible don't get Don't let your heart be set in the things of this world. Don't get too comfortable and always be on the lookout for Eternal opportunities for spiritual opportunities where you can advance the kingdom of God where you can you know grow your your rewards in eternity Because we need to view our lives in view of the eternal you have to have the right perspective the right pursuits and the right people Let's close in prayer Heavenly father, thank you so much for this church. Thank you for your word I pray that you'd help us all Lord to realize that the eternal is more important than the present and But that everything we do in this