Today, through the word of God, I want to help and equip you to live the rest of your life filled with joy and hope, without fear of facing eternity.
Eternity isn’t just a destination; it’s a lens that transforms our earthly journey. Today, we’ll discover how to build a legacy that echoes through the ages.
We’re focused on leaving a financial inheritance for our children, planning our retirements, but what legacy of faith and service are we building for eternity?
We need to have the right vision of eternity, as how you live on this earth today depends on the vision you have for eternity.
Why do we need to live in the light of eternity now?
- Because Life is Short
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”
James 4:14
Your life is a mist! It will soon pass! If today were the last day of your life, how would you feel standing before the Lord Jesus? As you know, life here is short, and many people are departing for eternity every day! Children, young people, young couples die every day! Dying isn’t the problem! But are you prepared to stand before Jesus after death?
- You Have an Appointment with Death
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement.” Hebrews 9:27
Each of us is destined to die once, and after that, we will face God and judgement! One day each of us will face death! Each person has only one chance in this life!
The Bible says no one will return, but after death, you will be judged according to how you lived here!
“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10
What will it be like when we stand before Jesus?
I know many people don’t like to think about it! But one day, we will face Jesus Christ!
I’m excited for that day; I live each day of my life waiting for this day!
Everything I do, I do it thinking of that day. We need to live in the light of eternity!
All we need to do is change our perspective!
I know that we have to live in a real world; we have to work, study, pay our bills, but we must live with our feet here but with our minds on eternity.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV
The Bible says that if you have been raised from the dead (or if you are born again), seek the things that are above, fix your eyes on the reality of heaven, think about the things of heaven, not the things of this earth; set your hearts and your minds on eternity.
Change what you’re looking at!
God is telling us to make the life to come greater than the life we are living now.
If we make the life to come greater than the life we are living now, we will live better in this life. Where we set our eyes on will determine the quality of life we have here.
When the eternal spiritual perspective infiltrates our thinking, it affects our daily earthly walk.
Think about students preparing for an important exam. They know they’ll be tested, so they study diligently, make notes, and try to understand the concepts. In the same way, as Christians, We’re being prepared for life’s ‘final exam’, where our actions and intentions will be marked.
We don’t know the day that the Lord will come, and you also don’t know the day you will depart for eternity, but we must live in the light of the time when that day comes.
Those who live in the light of eternity do more for the kingdom of God, and they take good care of their spiritual life!
So, in your personal life, you should walk differently, in your family life, in your church life, when giving your contribution to the kingdom of God. You need to reflect your faith in your job, in your school, and in the community.
We must live in the light of that day, today; we need to prepare for that day, today!
We need to grow higher and deeper in developing an eternal perspective!
And the time to be prepared for that day is now!
Everything you do on this earth will bring you reward or regret in eternity.
On that day when you see Jesus, what will bring you most reward or regret?
The Bible says there will be rewards for those who were faithful.
But many will have regrets; it depends on how you spent your time and where you invested your life.
Many are wasting their time; they don’t have time to pray, read the Bible, come to church, visit someone in need, talk about Jesus, or spend time with God.
What will that bring you on the final day? Regret – I wasted my time!
The Bible says that your eternity is determined by your lifestyle in these few years!
One day we will all have to face death, and we have to give an account to God for how we lived here! And after death, there will be no second chances!
No one will have a second chance! There will be no time to repent! Repentance must be now, in life, not in eternity!
I’ve come to the conclusion that God’s intention for us is to spend most of our time here preparing for there!
Everything you do on this earth will bring you either reward or regret.
Everything you do on this earth, how you have lived, will determine the reward that you will receive or the great regret that you will have for wasting the opportunity that God has given you!
The Bible says that you are eternal! You will never end; you will stay a few short years on earth, and eternity somewhere else.
How you live this small part of your life determines how you will live the rest of your eternity! Millions and millions of years and forever!
Let’s see how Jesus taught his disciples about eternity.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV
Jesus taught his disciples to live a life here thinking about eternity!
Jesus said: store up, lay up your treasures in heaven!
If your heart is on this earth, your treasure and reward will be here.
But if you invest in the kingdom of God, you will have a treasure in heaven.
Invest in people—people in your life are more important than your money, and the only thing you will take to heaven is people!
You need to have a radical shift in your expectation, which will create a radical shift in our behaviour and transform other lives.
You need to have more expectation for eternity!
The greater your expectation is of heaven and eternity, the better the life you will have on earth.
The lower your expectation is of heaven, the worse your life will be on earth.
Because expectations affect behaviour!
If you truly want to live life on earth the way it should be lived, you must learn to live it with eternity in mind, building an eternal legacy!
Many of us live in defeat and sorrow because of our poor expectations about eternity.
“If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” 1 Corinthians 15:19 NLT
Our hope cannot be in this life; if so, we are the most miserable, pitiable people!
Eternity is the cornerstone of the Christian life! But today, you can find many teachings on the internet and TV where pastors and leaders are teaching people how to be prosperous, how to have a good life on earth, how to make money, etc.
Jesus’s teachings were always preparing his disciples for eternity.
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
John 14:1-3
Do not be troubled; trust in God; your home is not here; there is a house waiting for you!
You will always be with me!
It is important that we, as followers of Jesus, live with eternity in mind!
Your life is 70 to 80 years first, and eternity thereafter!
So, it is important for us to realise that we need to live thinking about our eternal legacy.
We will all come to the end of our lives and stand before Him, and all I want to hear Him say is, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’
Because of that, we have to live with eternity in mind!
The decision you make today affects eternity.
What you look at today affects eternity.
So, I want to encourage you; you need to have your eyes fixed on eternity with Jesus. Jesus taught that if we do not receive the reward here, that is okay because it will come in eternity.
22 “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.
23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.” Luke 6:22-23
Jesus said: what blessings await you when people hate, mock and curse you because you are a follower of Jesus!
Not only be happy but leap for joy! Get super excited now because you will be rewarded in eternity!
You can see how your expectations affect your behaviour!
What the enemy does is make this world seem bigger and the world to come seem smaller in our eyes.
So, I can go after my own desires, my own lifestyle, live however I want.
My life and your life now are a preparation for that day when we will stand before the Lord.
If we live in the light of that day, our expectation will transform our behaviour; if we live with eternity in mind, you will live a life that pleases God. If we live in the light of eternity, we will not be afraid of death.
Eternity will give us victory in time!
I want you to enter heaven celebrating.
I want us to enter glory with our hands raised high.
May God help us to live with an eternal perspective, working towards our “Eternal Legacy.”
God bless you!