Focus on Our Life to Come
A John MacArthur's Sermon Summary
It’s very tempting to indulge in the desires of our selfish, prideful, and indulgent hearts and pursue our best life now. Some think they can manifest such desires and control their future by: (a) believing they can get what they want, (b) visualizing getting it, and (c) speaking loudly of having it.
People like Joel Osteen promote such approaches via prosperity gospel, which prioritizes health, wealth, and other perishable things. Be careful. Even Christ was tempted in the wilderness by the common desire to survive, and to be accepted, significant, and powerful. The world is passing away. Don’t love it and be controlled by it.[1]
But we are unable and unwilling to go to God, please God, or cause God to bless us. We are worthless sinners.[2]
Fortunately, if we believe in Christ, then we are saved from sin’s penalty and power. And one day, we’ll be completely free of sin’s presence when we are brought safely to His Kingdom.[3]
In other words, the gospel can rescue us from the slavery of worldly desires and give us eternal joy and blessings. Through God’s grace, our best life isn’t now but is yet to come.[4]
We can’t understand how God regenerates our dead-in-sin souls. As Jesus told Nicodemus, we need to be born again. But Jesus said that we can’t control this any more than we can control the wind. We are regenerated by the will, power, and purpose of God, who gives us everlasting life through His Words.[5]
Furthermore, God has given us an eternal, unfading, and pure inheritance. It’s provided to us through the cross, guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection, and forever reserved in heaven.[6]
We can’t grasp the enormity of our wonderful eternal inheritance, other than knowing that it is a gift born of His rich and immense mercy. All we can do is give Him glory and praise.[7]
During our transient lives, we should deny ourselves and die to our worldly desires. If we suffer for the sake of righteousness, we should rejoice, because such suffering will strengthen our God-given faith. With a heart full of praise and with living hope, may we wait patiently for our wonderful life to come.[8]
Summary of a sermon by John MacArthur, “Becoming a Better You?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTd2Dvnck1Q
People like Joel Osteen promote such approaches via prosperity gospel, which prioritizes health, wealth, and other perishable things. Be careful. Even Christ was tempted in the wilderness by the common desire to survive, and to be accepted, significant, and powerful. The world is passing away. Don’t love it and be controlled by it.[1]
But we are unable and unwilling to go to God, please God, or cause God to bless us. We are worthless sinners.[2]
Fortunately, if we believe in Christ, then we are saved from sin’s penalty and power. And one day, we’ll be completely free of sin’s presence when we are brought safely to His Kingdom.[3]
In other words, the gospel can rescue us from the slavery of worldly desires and give us eternal joy and blessings. Through God’s grace, our best life isn’t now but is yet to come.[4]
We can’t understand how God regenerates our dead-in-sin souls. As Jesus told Nicodemus, we need to be born again. But Jesus said that we can’t control this any more than we can control the wind. We are regenerated by the will, power, and purpose of God, who gives us everlasting life through His Words.[5]
Furthermore, God has given us an eternal, unfading, and pure inheritance. It’s provided to us through the cross, guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection, and forever reserved in heaven.[6]
We can’t grasp the enormity of our wonderful eternal inheritance, other than knowing that it is a gift born of His rich and immense mercy. All we can do is give Him glory and praise.[7]
During our transient lives, we should deny ourselves and die to our worldly desires. If we suffer for the sake of righteousness, we should rejoice, because such suffering will strengthen our God-given faith. With a heart full of praise and with living hope, may we wait patiently for our wonderful life to come.[8]
Summary of a sermon by John MacArthur, “Becoming a Better You?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTd2Dvnck1Q
[1] 1 John 2:15-17, Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13, 2 Corinthians 11:14
[2] 2 Timothy 2:20, 4:16-18; 2 Corinthians 4:7
[3] 1 Peter 1:3, 5; 2 Timothy 4:16-18; Psalm 103, 34
[4] 1 Peter 1:3-5, 2:20, 3:13-15, 5:10; 2 Corinthians 4:18
[5] 1 Peter 1:3, 20-23; Ephesians 2:1; John 3:1-15
[6] 1 Peter 1:3-5
[7] Ephesians 1:18, 1:3, 2:4-5; John 10:30; Matthew 17:15; Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:13; Micah 7:8; Psalm 108:4; Lamentations 3:22-23
[8] Ephesians 1:18, 1 Peter 1:6
[2] 2 Timothy 2:20, 4:16-18; 2 Corinthians 4:7
[3] 1 Peter 1:3, 5; 2 Timothy 4:16-18; Psalm 103, 34
[4] 1 Peter 1:3-5, 2:20, 3:13-15, 5:10; 2 Corinthians 4:18
[5] 1 Peter 1:3, 20-23; Ephesians 2:1; John 3:1-15
[6] 1 Peter 1:3-5
[7] Ephesians 1:18, 1:3, 2:4-5; John 10:30; Matthew 17:15; Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:13; Micah 7:8; Psalm 108:4; Lamentations 3:22-23
[8] Ephesians 1:18, 1 Peter 1:6