Pastor Aaron Cordeiro
January 5, 2014 - W1401

Today I want to talk to you a little bit about moving in a direction none other than towards heaven. Did you know that God made it possible that you can live heaven on earth? Indeed it will require us to see life a bit differently when it comes to moving heavenward. But there is a secret to living eternal.

What is the goal in life that Paul was referring to in Phil. 3:12-14? Paul said,

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived

at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do:

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:12-14)

Therefore, the goal in life according to the Bible is to know God and know the power of His resurrection for your life, your faith, your future, your marriage, your struggles in parenthood, your leadership at work, and any other relationship you might have.

Know the power of the resurrection of God, even if it means that you have to suffer a bit in sacrifice. Even if it means that you must die to yourself, he says to bring it on because if you come face-to-face with God and you understand the power of God, your life will never be the same. You will live heaven on earth.

Here are three Biblical truths that Paul wants to share with us:

A. KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT TIME.

The Bible says,

"Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2) and "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." (Heb. 3:15)

Time is our most precious gift because you only have a finite amount of it. And Paul is saying that if you can start to see life in this next year through the lens or through the eyes of God, then following and obeying Him, life’s challenge won’t be something that would really be like this mountainous thing. Because when you start to see things like God sees them, when you understand that time really is but a breath. It’s like a vapor, here one day and gone the next. Then you start to see things a little bit differently and you start to value things a bit differently. And when you look into this next year, you see it a lot differently.

B. YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKES ARE NOT TOO BIG FOR GOD’S GRACE.

According to 1 John 1:9,

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

a. You can’t change your PAST, but Christ can change your FUTURE!

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14)

C. REARRANGE YOUR LIFE TILL YOU CAN HONOR GOD.

Jesus said,

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33)

So how do you rearrange your life?

a. Saturate yourself in God’s word.

Do your daily devotions such as reading the Bible and writing your thoughts in a journal.

b. Plan your life according to God’s word.

When God speaks to you about something that you need to change this year, write it down in a planner so that you can have a constant reminder.

Remember this, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37)

c. Prepare yourself.

Plan or rearrange your schedule so that you can spend more time with your loved ones.

d. Live with Purpose.

Sometimes we lose our purpose and drift away from the things important in our lives such as serving our God, loving our spouses, and caring for our children. If that is so, let us search for and try to return to our true purpose in life. And let it be so that you will honor your king, and in the process, it will transform everything about your life. Then you will live heaven on earth. And this coming year will be your best year yet, when you understand just how precious time is, and when you don’t allow the past to imprison you. Look forward to what God has for you and take the necessary steps. Arrange your life in such a way where we can stand before God and He is pleased.

Questions:

1. How did God make it possible that we can live heaven on earth?

2. What was the goal in life that Paul was referring to in Phil. 3: 12-14?

3. What are the 3 biblical truths according to Paul?

4. How do you rearrange your life?

5. What did Jesus mean when He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you?”