Josh Rivers: Where is Your Home?

Quotes from a message preached at Eagle
Rock Community Church in July 2010.

Have you every wondered ‘Why can’t I fit
in with those around – society, work mates,
school friends, family?’

You are not of this world! If you are a
Christian, you can’t join in and enjoy the
world’s system, ideas, entertainment.

Flicker: he who has the most toys, wins.
But we are here on earth for only a small
amount of time – 50, 80, maybe 100 years.
Then what are all your toys – everything you
collected and lived for in life, going to do for
you when you enter eternity?

Psalm 39:4 Lord, remind me how brief
my time on earth will be. Remind me that
my days are numbered, and that my life is
fleeing away.

Life on earth is a temporary assignment.
Life is described in the Bible as: a mist, a fast
runner, a breath, a wisp of smoke.

To make the best of our life, we must
never forget two truths:

1. Compared with eternity, life is
extremely brief or short;

2. Life is only a temporary residence:
you won’t be here long, so don’t get too
attached.

Ask God to help you see life on earth
as He sees it. Earth is not your permanent
home or final destination: we’re just passing
through – just visiting earth. The Bible says
we are aliens, pilgrims, foreigners, strangers,
visitors, travellers here.

Peter said: If you call God your Father, live
your time as temporary residents on earth.

We are citizens of Heaven, there the Lord
Jesus Christ lives. Your identity is in eternity,
and your homeland is Heaven.

When we flirt with the temptations of
this world, God calls it spiritual adultery. If
all you want in your life is your own way,
flirting with the world every chance you get,
you end up enemies of God and His way!
We have fascinating attractions of media and
experiences available today – it’s easy to forget
that the pursuit of happiness is not what life
is all about.

Only as we remember that life is a test, a
trust, and a temporary assignment, will the
appeal of these things lose their grip on our
lives. We are preparing for something even
better. Earth is not our ultimate home. As
followers of Jesus we experience difficulty,
sorrow and rejection in the world.

That explains why some of God’s promises
seem unfulfilled, some prayers unanswered,
and some circumstances seem unfair. To keep
us from becoming too attached to earth, God
allows us to feel a big amount of discontent
and dissatisfaction in life. We have longings
that will never be fulfilled on this side of
eternity.

We’re not completely happy here because
we’re not supposed to be!

Earth is not our final home – we were
created for something better: a place with
no more tears, pain: Heaven! A fish would
never be happy living on land because it was
made for water.

C.S. Lewis said: All that is not eternal is
eternally useless.

The Bible says: We fix our eyes, not on
what is seen, but on what is unseen. (2 Cor
4:18)

In God’s eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve success and prosperity
in this life: Paul ended up in prison, John
the Baptist was beheaded. Martyrs expected
their reward in heaven, not on earth.

All these great people died in faith. They
did not get the things that God promised His
people, but saw them coming far in the future,
and were glad. They said they were like visitors
and strangers on earth, they were waiting for
a better country – a heavenly country, So God
is not ashamed to be called their God, because
He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews
11: 13-16)

A retiring missionary coming home to
America on the same boat as the President of
USA saw cheering crowds, military band, red
carpet, banners and the media to welcome the
President, but the missionary slipped away
unnoticed. Feeling self-pity and resentment,
he began to complain to God.

Then God gently reminded him

 But, My child,
you are not home yet!