Tough-Minded About Heaven | David Jeremiah

often people tell me when they know  that we're going to be talking about   this subject or even after they've  been here to hear the teaching on it   that perhaps we are not  really being very practical   the way they say it is usually something like this  you know pastor we shouldn't be so concerned about   heaven after all when we get to heaven there'll be  plenty of time to be worried about heaven we need   to be spending our energies and our time here will  we not have all eternity to worry about heaven and   aren't people who are heavenly minded usually no  earthly good i've actually had people tell me that   now if we didn't have the new testament  we might be able to reason like that   but one of the most consistent truths of the new  testament is this what you think about heaven   determines how you live today the future is like  an anchor that has been cast ahead of us and it   is pulling us into the future in his second  epistle peter ends his letter with a question   after describing the renovation of the  earth at the end of the age and you all   know about that because we studied it how the  earth is going to be renovated and made new   at the end of his discussion of the renovation of  the earth peter in verse 11 of chapter 3 of second   peter says this therefore since all these things  will be dissolved what manner of persons ought you   to be not what manner of persons ought  you to be in the future but what manner   of persons ought to you to be now his question  is at the very heart of our discussion today   what difference does it make now that we know  about heaven and god's future plans for us   how should we live now in light of what we know  about the future in the next verses of this   chapter the apostle tells us in straightforward  language what kind of people we ought to be   let me remind us all that when we learn new  truth with that truth comes new responsibility   because we know some things now that we did  not know before we can never live the same   as we lived before we must be different  people because of our exposure to god's word   i've been thinking and praying lately about  the importance of these days in my own life   and i believe with all my heart  if you and i are to realize all   that god has for us we're going to have to  discipline our minds to think biblically   the explosion of information that is assaulting  our minds and hearts from the media is not leading   us toward a biblical mindset and we are going to  drown in all of this if we don't make up our minds   about a few things and when i say make up our  minds i mean be tough-minded about these things   hold your place now in ii peter 3 and go back  if you would to first peter chapter 1 and look   at verse 13. i want to give you a little  phrase that i hope you will never forget   first peter 1 and verse 13 and i want to just  read the first part of that verse here's what   it says therefore gird up the loins of your mind  and be sober it's the only place where that exact   expression is found in the new testament peter is  using an oriental expression in this verse that   described how a jewish person would get ready to  run or get ready to engage in battle as you know   the jews wore long flowing robes and when it was  time for them to move quickly to be disciplined   in their approach to some process the jews would  take that long flowing robe and they would gather   it up and they would stuff it down in their belt  or in the girdle that went around their waist   so that the long flowing robe wouldn't get in  the way of their moving forward now using that   expression peter says now watch this it's time  for us to gird up the loins of our mind well one   translator has put it this way roll up the sleeves  of your mind does that communicate what you what   you need to hear he's saying we can't be sloppy  in our thinking anymore we can't be casual in how   we think about life we really have to gird up the  loins of our mind we have to roll up the sleeves   of our mind and begin to be tough-minded and think  critically about some things because if we just   float along with the culture we will be victimized  by it we are not like everyone around us we are   not like the world in which we live we are god's  people we're different but in order for us to   maintain that difference we have to gird up the  loins of our mind now peter says back in ii peter   that when we know what we know about what god  has planned for us it's going to change the way   we think and i want to just take you through this  passage of scripture and i want to show you what   peter has to say here in second peter chapter 3  are five things that demand our tough-mindedness   these are five things that are true because jesus  is coming back five things that are true because   there is a heaven and there is a hell five things  that we all need to take seriously because we know   where we're going now notice first of all we're  to be tough-minded about our purity tough-minded   about our purity second peter chapter 3 verse 11  therefore since all these things will be dissolved   what manner of persons ought you  to be in holy conduct and godliness   in this one verse peter describes the lifestyle of  a christ follower who understands the future plan   of god notice first of all he says that we're to  be people of holy conduct the word holy hoggias   means to be set apart for the service of god  peter over in chapter 1 again in that very   same verse we looked at it a minute ago peter  addresses the same issue in his first letter go   back to first peter chapter 1 and verse 13. now  notice what he says in the rest of that passage   therefore gird up the loins of your  mind and be sober and rest your hope   fully upon the grace that is to be brought  to you at the revelation of jesus christ   as obedient children not conforming yourselves to  the former lusts as in your ignorance but as he   who has called you is holy you also be holy in  all your conduct because it is written be holy   for i am holy peter tells us that we are to be  tough-minded about godliness and this illustrates   the importance of the inward attitude that we  have godliness is our inward attitude toward god   in his letters to timothy and to titus  young preachers whom paul was mentoring   he wrote some things to them that have always  struck me as very important for our culture today   exercise yourselves toward godliness say that  out loud exercise yourselves toward godliness   what that means is you don't just become  godly normally you don't just wake up one   morning and all of a sudden you're godly  you gotta exercise yourself to godliness   ever since i've had cancer i've been getting up  in the morning and going to the gym now i don't   like doing that i mean i don't go to bed at night  thinking boy i just can't wait till the morning   i don't wake up in the morning and think you  know this is just automatic i'm going i have a   little war that goes on with you all know what  i'm talking about i think i'll sleep in today   sometimes i do but most the time i get up and i go  because i have to exercise myself to stay healthy   now peter is telling us that if we're going to  be godly people in this generation we've got to   we got to put some exercise into it we got to  exert ourselves it doesn't just happen to us you   know just wake up one day and it's all different  the exercises in the reading of the word of god   and in prayer and in making sure you're in church  and doing the things that you know are going to   cause you to be a more godly person you're not  going to just become godly automatically in titus   chapter 2 and verse 12 he says not only are we  to pursue godliness but we're to deny ungodliness   these are all action words these are not spiritual  terms this is not some sort of a mystery this is   every day experience on our part because we know  someday we're going to go and live with a holy god   we're to be in process right now of becoming more  and more like him in holiness and righteousness   and godly conduct now put that over here and then  put over here what you're exposed to every day on   television in the media in the places where  you work do you understand why you have to be   tough-minded about this you have to get up in  the morning you've got to make some decisions   about how you're going to let your life be lived  tough-minded about purity now if you sensitize   yourself to what i'm saying today if you let  this be a little grid that you have in your mind   you will discover that over and over and i mean  over again in the new testament the holy spirit   associates godliness and holiness and purity  with the return of the lord to this earth   those of you who say well knowing about the  future doesn't have anything to do with today   you're giving yourself away you haven't read your  bible because i am just totally stunned by this   i have known some of this but this week i  became fully equipped on this particular subject   and it has stunned me to see how often in the new  testament you have the the truth of jesus coming   back or heaven or the future and in the same  verse because of that this is what you should   be like now i'm just going to give you a little  survey and here's what i want to assign you to do   i want you to notice two things in every passage i  want you to notice the return of christ the second   coming the future and holiness godliness and  purity all right you ready for this here we go   first corinthians 1 7 and 8 waiting for the  revelation of the lord jesus christ there's   the future who will conform you to the end that  you might be blameless in the day of the lord   jesus christ there's holiness colossians  3 4-5 when christ who is our life appears   then you will also appear with him in  glory therefore put to death your members   which are on the earth fornication uncleanness  passion evil desire covetousness and idolatry   first thessalonians 3 12 and 13 and may the  lord make you increase and abound in love   to one another and to all just as we do to you  so that he may establish your hearts blameless   in holiness before our god and father at the  coming of the lord jesus christ there it is again   first thessalonians 5 23 may the god of  peace himself sanctify you completely and   may your whole spirit soul and body be preserved  blameless at the coming of our lord jesus christ   first john 2 28 and now little children abide in  him that when he appears we may have confidence   and not be ashamed before him in his coming  first john 3 2 and 3 beloved now are we the   children of god and it is not yet revealed what  we shall be but we know that when he is revealed   we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is  and everyone watch this everyone who has this hope   in him purifies himself just as he is pure now you  got that when you read about the future it always   has an impact on the present because he's coming  back it ought to motivate us to live in a more   godly way i've been recommending to you during  this series a book by randy alcorn which is in   my estimation the best book on heaven that's ever  been written one place in the book he was talking   a little bit around this subject here's what he  said he said if my wedding date is on the calendar   and i'm thinking of the person i'm going to  marry i shouldn't be an easy target for seduction   likewise when i've meditated on heaven sin is  terribly unappealing it's when my mind drifts   from heaven at sin seems attractive thinking  of heaven leads inevitably to pursuing holiness   our high tolerance for sin testifies  of our failure to prepare for heaven   if i believe i'll spend eternity in a world of  unending beauty and adventure will i be content   to spend all my evenings staring at game shows  sitcoms and ball games even if i keep my eyes off   of impurities he wrote how much time will i want  to invest in what doesn't really matter you see   the future is like an anchor out there and it's  reeling us in and on the way through it's calling   us to a holiness of life i'll tell you what that's  a message that's needed in our culture today more   than any other message because little by little  we are allowing the world to pour us into its mold   you know how i know that just think about all the  things that used to be almost intolerable to you   that you now tolerate think about the things that  you used to never dream you'd be involved in and   little by little you've gained a comfort with it  the world is little by little so what i'm saying   to you man is this what i'm saying to you women  is this we need to be tough minded about purity   all right let me give you the second one  secondly here back in second peter chapter three   i want you to notice that we're to be tough-minded  about his promises ii peter 3 12 says looking for   and hasting the coming of the day of the  lord now what peter's talking about here is   that we must be tough-minded about this fact  that jesus is coming back because you know a   lot of people who call themselves evangelicals  don't really believe it or if they do believe   it they don't think it's very important i've  actually had people say you know i don't care if   you're pre-trib mid-trib post-trib whatever you  are it doesn't matter you shouldn't be studying   all that stuff this is wasting your time it's like  trying to figure out how many angels can perch on   the head of a pin you know that's what they think  you know this is really not really important but   people who say that don't really have the right  attitude and they've lost their tough-mindedness   about the future you see the bible teaches about  the future if you take all of the information   out of the bible that has to do with everything  that's going to happen after you and i aren't here   or after the rapture you would take about  one-fourth of the bible and destroy it   one-fourth or better of the bible  is all about what's going to happen   in the future now if god thought it was important  enough to put it in this book and preserve this   book for all these years accurately i'd  best be finding out what that's all about   not just out of curiosity but out of a desire  to find out how that's going to affect my life   and peter says we need to be tough-minded about  the promises of god he has promised that he is   coming back that christ is coming back to this  earth we believe he's coming first in the rapture   and then later coming with his saints to set up  his kingdom on this earth the bible says jesus   is coming back do you believe that well yeah i  suppose no no it can't be like that you have to   believe it with all your heart with all your mind  you've got to develop a tough-mindedness about it   you see peter already knew what our generation  was going to be like look down in your bibles   at chapter 3 of ii peter in verses 3 and 4.  listen listen to what it says knowing that   first that scoffers will come in the last days  walking according to their own lusts and saying   where is the promise of his coming for  since the fathers fell asleep all things   continue as they were from the beginning  of creation that's just exactly what the   attitude is today you know hey pastor what  do you mean the lord's coming back look he's   been gone for two thousand plus years he's not  coming back if he's coming back he'd be back   and they forget that one day is with the lord is  a thousand years and a thousand years is one day   that he doesn't keep time the way we do you know  since he made that promise a few minutes has gone   by but one day he's coming back and we have to  remember that what god has said is true let me   tell you something there are countless numbers of  prophecies in the old testament about his first   coming and every single one of them were fulfilled  in exact proportion to the prophecy the same god   who fulfilled his prophecies of his coming at  bethlehem has made some statements about his   coming in the future and they will be fulfilled  as exactly as the ones were in the first coming   so peter says be tough-minded about his return  c.s lewis wrote this he said i must keep alive   in myself the desire for my true country which i  shall not find until after my death i must never   let it get snowed under or turned aside i must  make it the main object of life to press on to   that other country and help as many as i can do  the very same we need to be tough-minded about   the promises of god he tells us that we're to be  looking for and hastening his coming philippians 3   20 says we're to eagerly wait for the savior titus  2 13 says we're to look for his coming hebrews 9   28 says we're to eagerly wait for his coming  and when peter writes in verse 12 that we are   hastening the coming of the lord he is reminding  us that we're to earnestly desire the coming   of the lord paul put it this way toward the end of  his life second timothy 4 8 finally there is laid   up for me the crown of righteousness which the  lord the righteous judge will give to me on that   day and not to me only but to also to all who have  what loved his appearing do you love his appearing   we ought to think about it regularly you know  i think we do that maybe as we get a little bit   older we keep thinking maybe the rapture  is going to come and beat us out of death   you know but where to think about that  because that's the word of god number three   not only should we be tough-minded about purity  and tough-minded about his promises but we need   to be tough-minded about our purpose notice verse  14 second peter chapter three therefore beloved   looking forward to these things what things the  things we've been talking about heaven and the   desolation of the earth and all the promises god  has looking forward to these things watch this   be diligent to be found by him in  peace without spot and blameless   now the words be diligent here in second peter are  found three times in this epistle the first time   is in second peter 1 5-7 where we're told to be  diligence to add to our faith virtue and to our   virtue knowledge that's a good passage we should  go and review that again sometime the second time   is in second peter 1 10. therefore brethren  be even more diligent be even more diligent   to make your call and your election sure for  if you do these things you will never stumble   many of you have told me that during these  days god has put on your heart what it is   you're supposed to do with your life we've  actually as you know had some people leave   our church and move to another part of the country  because god told them that this is something they   should do and one of our best friends because  of the messages i preached went to florida because she felt god calling her there and  that was the purpose god had for her life   we know all of us that we have been given a gift  we spent a whole series on the gifts of the spirit   but we have to be tough-minded about this  sis peter we have to be diligent to make   our election and our calling sure we have to be  diligent to make sure that our lives are matching   the purpose for which we were created do  you realize how easy it is to just let   days and weeks and months go by and all of  a sudden you wake up and the thing to which   you have been called has been put on the back  burner and it's not even in play in your life   and one day when you stand before the lord as  a christian you're going to give an account for   the things done in the body and god is going to  tell you i gave you a gift what did you do with it   and you know there's a lot of parables in the  teaching of jesus that tell us that's a real   situation it's going to happen and so peter is  saying in light of the fact that jesus is coming   back be diligent about your purpose make sure  you get up every day and think christianly gird   up the loins of your mind around the thing god  has called you to do and say this is what i'm   this is what i'm all about and a lot of other  things are going to come and try to take me away   from what i'm supposed to be doing but i'm going  to be tough-minded you can't always put god at the   bottom of the list and then say i'm making god  my priority you need to be diligent about your   calling paul understood that heaven was his goal  and his life reflected this he eloquently wrote to   the philippians in philippians 3 13 and 14 these  words he says brethren i do not count myself   to have apprehended but one thing i do listen to  this forgetting those things which are behind and   reaching forward to those things which are ahead i  press toward the goal for the prize of the upward   call of god in christ jesus what was he saying  i've had to say no to some stuff i had to forget   about the past and i've got to press toward and  focus in and get tough-minded about what god has   called me to do are you tough-minded about god's  purpose in your life that's one of the things   peter says should come when we realize that one  day we're going to report for the final time we're   going to stand before the lord and give an account  of how we've lived our lives in light of that gird   up the loins of your mind roll up the sleeves of  your mind and be tough-minded about your purpose   now here's the fourth one tough-minded about  your profession second peter chapter 3 verse   17 you therefore beloved since you know this  beforehand know what know that god's got the   future all lined out for you beware now watch this  beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness   being led away with the error of the wicked now  please note he didn't say beware that you fall   from your salvation you can't do that he says  beware that you fall from being steadfast what   does that mean solid you know what you believe  you know why you believe it and nothing can sway   you from it you're not just a surface christian  but the roots go down deep into your heart and   when some someone knocks at your door maybe it's  two guys who are traveling in the neighborhood   and they want to engage you in some sort of con  conversation you already know who jesus is who   he was and who he always will be and so you're  not moved from the steadfastness of your faith   peter says in light of the fact that jesus is  coming back and that one day you're going to go   be with him you better beware lest you be drawn  away from your steadfastness and drawn into error   and you know why he said that because elsewhere  in the text it says that when the lord is about   to come back there's going to be an increased  amount of demons and an increased amount of of uh   diverse opinions and increased amount of cults  and isms and wasms and all of the other things   and i'm seeing that happen right now are you  every time you turn around somebody's come up   with a new religion come up with some new crazy  idea about how you know god and peter says in   light of the fact that jesus is coming back he  says i want you to be steadfast i want you to be   i want you to be tough-minded about what  you believe finally last of all number five   he says i want you to be tough-minded about your  progress we have to be tough-minded about our   progress did you know that when you read second  peter chapter three you're reading peter swan's   song did you know that it's the last thing we have  of him having said or written do you know what the   last thing peter said was before he shut it all  down here's what he said but grow in grace and in   the knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ  to him be the glory both now and forever amen   do you know how to keep from getting carried  away with some weird person who comes knocking   at your door just keep growing in your own faith  that's the best way to stay steadfast you know   the christian life friends is not like something  where you get to a certain place and will you say   well i finally figured this out i've made it as  i told you this week i discovered a whole bunch   of new truth i didn't know before and i study the  bible a lot and every time i open this book i am   so overwhelmed at what god is willing to teach  me if i'm willing to be a learner and there's   so much i'll never learn if i live to be a hundred  i'll never ever be able to master all of the bible   but every day i get into this book i learn and  i grow are you the same person this year that   you were last year can you identify any change  and growth in your life peter says the thing   you need to do in light of the fact that jesus  is coming back and this is his last admonition   grow in grace and in the knowledge of the lord and  savior jesus christ are you a growing christian   or have you just stagnated you know there's a  story about a little boy who fell out of bed   one night and his mother went up to check  on him and she said honey why did you fall   out of bed he said well mama i guess i  fell asleep too close to where i got in   you know i know a lot of christians like that  don't you they fall asleep as soon as they get   in the faith they get in and that's it they never  grow if you're not growing you are an absolute   perfect target for the enemy he can come and  draw you away and you can get caught up in   something that can ruin your life so peter  is really on target here when he's saying   grow in grace and in the knowledge of the lord  jesus christ why because jesus is coming back   i want him to find me growing i want him to come  back and i'm i'm just discovering something new   about him and i'm just growing in him all the way  to glory i don't want him to come back and find   out that the last time i read my bible was six  months ago or it's on the back shelf of my car   and i can't find it i want him to come  back finding me a growing christian   and peter says i want you to be tough-minded about  that how do you be tough-minded about growing you   know in the in the in the physical world you don't  have to do that you just grow but you got to be   tough-minded about some things even there you got  to eat right you got to exercise you got to get   clean air got to make sure you stay away from  contaminants or things that can poison your system   not a whole lot different in the spiritual realm  is it if you want to grow there's certain things   that are true in fact i thought it was interesting  that there are a number of things in the bible   that talk about what we need to do to grow and  they're related to the coming of christ one of   my favorite verses for instance is philippians  1 6 it says being confident of this very thing   that he who has begun a good work in you will  complete it until when the day of jesus christ   i've written down in my notes growth comes through  the will of god growth comes through the will of   god did you know that it's god's will for you to  grow i don't know what god's will is for your job   or what his will is for the person you're thinking  about marrying i don't know about his will for   where you're supposed to live i can tell you one  thing for sure god wants you to grow it's the will   of god for you to be a growing christian he didn't  bring you into his family so you could be dwarfed   he brought you into his family so you could grow  into a strong vibrant verl christian secondly   growth comes through the watchfulness of  prayer first peter 4 7 says but the end of   all things is at hand there's the future again  therefore what be watchful and serious in your   prayers is there anything friends that takes more  tough-mindedness than developing your prayer life me that's for me prayer is hard work if you only  pray when you feel like praying you probably never   pray because prayer isn't the kind of thing  where you get up and say oh i just can't wait   to get on my knees and pray you do it out of  obedience and what happens when you do it out   of obedience god fills your heart with love and  desire and hope and excitement but you've got   to be tough-minded about it you've got to say  i'm going to do this and in order to do this   i'm not going to do that because if i do that it's  going to wipe this out and this is the priority   that's how you grow tough-minded about prayer  thirdly you grow through the word of god in   revelation 22 7 it says behold i am coming quickly  blessed is he who keeps the words of this prophecy   that was written about the book of  revelation but it applies to the whole book   you grow through the word of god and finally you  grow through the work of the church hebrews 10 25   says here again is the future let us consider one  another in order to stir up love and good works   not forsaking the assembling of ourselves  together as the manner of some is but exhorting   one another now watch this and so much the more  as you see the day approaching are you getting   the picture in this message if you don't get  anything else out of this i hope you get this   that what you believe about the  future determines how you live today   and over and over again in the bible that is the  truth that we hear if you believe jesus is coming   back you will develop a tough-mindedness about  how you live your life today and the more you oh   the more you move yourself away from what god has  planned for you in the future the more apt you are   to become a person who just sort of drifts through  life you see when you know where you're going   it makes all the difference in the world how you  live and if you keep reminding yourself that one   day you're going to spend eternity with a holy  god and the only way you're going to get rewards   up there is by bringing people with you and by  encouraging people and by your own giving and all   of that makes all the difference in the world so  you see the coming of christ and the doctrine of   heaven provides some of the strongest motivation  for living the christian life you will ever find   c.s lewis once again said it this way he said  if you have read history you will find that   the christians who did most for the present world  were just those who thought most of the next world   it is since christians have largely ceased to  think of the other world that they have become   so ineffective in this world then he said this and  i wrote this down this is great aim at heaven and   you will get earth thrown in aim at earth and  you get nothing isn't that true aim at heaven   and you get the earth thrown in but you aim at  the earth and you don't get anything because one   of these days as we learn at the beginning of  this chapter this is all going to be dissolved   and only what's eternal is going to last every  year for many years don and i have gone to the nrb   which by the way is one of those an acronyms for  the national religious broadcasters association   it's always kind of a highlight we love  going there because we meet our friends and   every once in a while they have a special  guest speaker three or four times they've   had the president of the united states i saw  president bush's father saw president reagan   and i sat on the front row when george w  came shook his hand even got my picture taken but you know i got to tell you something i love it  when they come but it's almost really not worth it   because when the president comes i mean when  he comes to the conference it messes everything   up from the night before until he leaves it  messes everything up to go see the president   who's going to speak at 10 45 you've got to get  in line at 8 o'clock in the morning you got to   stand in a line where you go in and out like  this like this like this through several rooms   i saw people standing in line you'd think they  would be frustrated and bored they were having   the highest time of their life they were greeting  their old friends and they stood in line for three   hours just talking to one another then when you  finally get to the front you got to go through a   metal detector now before you go through the  metal detector you got to have credentials   showing that you've registered for  the nrb oh my goodness you should   have seen the people that stood in line from eight   all the way through to 11 and they got up to  the gate and they didn't have any credentials   and they had to go back to the room and get  their credentials and get in the back of the line you say who would put up with that nobody put  up with that if you weren't going to go see the   president i'll tell you one thing friends  one day i'm going to see the king of kings   i want to sing the lord of lords i'm not  in any queue line i'm just getting ready   i want to tell you something that i've done to  get ready first of all i've got my credentials   i've got them have you got your credentials amen  i've got my credentials and i'm not going to get   turned away when i get to the front of the line  he's going to see my credentials you know what   they are i was born again i was saved through the  blood of the lord jesus and christ is my savior   i can't get to heaven on my own  it's going to say on my credentials   david jeremiah in the name of jesus  christ that's what it's going to say and i hope that you understand that because the  one that we're going to go spend eternity with   is far greater than any human president or  human leader or king or queen or potentate   we need to start getting ready we need to start  living our lives like we really believe that one   day we're going to spend eternity with almighty  god we need to become tough-minded about heaven you

Channel: David Jeremiah

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Keywords: Dr. David Jeremiah, Dr. David Jeremiah sermons, Dr. David Jeremiah 2020, Turning Point, Turning Point Ministries, Turning Point Television, Jesus, Christ, Savior, Eternity, Son of God, Son of Mary, Teacher, Praying, King of Kings, King of the Jews, Old Testament, New Testament, praying, Heaven, sickness, pain, death, eternal, promises, God

Id: 34kctUN7yxc

Length: 35min 11sec (2111 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 06 2020