Series: Heroic
Sermon: Invest In Eternity
Scripture: Hebrews 11:23-26
ICE BREAKER: Do you love working from home or would you rather be in the office?
REVIEW:
This week we continued building our HEROIC TEMPLATE by learning to Invest in Eternity. Our hero this week is Moses, one of the most famous men in scripture!
We learned that the Heroes Journey has been told in epic story form for thousands of years! Every Hero story follows the same basic template and each journey runs into the same key issue - THE TEMPTATION TRAP!
The Temptation Trap is what keeps us stuck in our suffering and unable to get to the other side of our story. It is like we are climbing a mountain and the closer we get to the top, the more temptation works to sideline us. It could be the temptation to take the "easy way out" or to escape your pain. Sometimes we are tempted to give up or we become insecure about our abilities. To be blunt, sometimes we are tempted because sin is just a LOT more fun than the struggle of living a significant life.
When is the last time you felt stuck in the temptation trap?
What was that trap holding you back from?
Moses became a hero because he escaped a massive temptation. Through amazing circumstances, Moses ended up being raised in Egypt's palace. He was adopted by the King's daughter and had access to all the treasure and opportunities imaginable. However, his real family, the Israelites, were enslaved by the very people who were raising him.
God had an incredible call on Moses' life - the same way he has a purpose for us all - but Moses would have to give up all the riches of Egypt first. Incredibly, that is exactly what he did.
Have you ever had to give up something you wanted to get something you actually needed?
How hard was that decision?
It is so difficult to escape the Temptation Trap! The question for Moses is: How did he do it?
APPLY:
We get our answer in Hebrews 11:26,
26 For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.
Moses was looking ahead. This is the key phrase to understand how to live a HEROIC life. The first thing we learned in this series is that Heroic Lives Have Faith. Faith is the ability to LOOK AHEAD - even when life is hard.
When we are stuck on the wrong side of the story, embroiled in tension and frustration, dealing with The Temptation Trap - it takes faith to believe God has something better for us even when we can't see it! There is another side to your story, but it requires faith to believe that and act accordingly.
Are you currently stuck in the Temptation Trap?
The closer you get to your purpose, the harder temptation will become.
Are you looking ahead and trusting that God has a purpose for your current pain?
If you can see the other side of your story, even before you have arrived there, you can make decisions today that will help you escape Temptation.
Are you living your life in a way that INVESTS in ETERNITY?
Everyone has to decide whether they will live to BE KING or live for THE KING. Heroic Lives see past today. Heroic lives live today with the End in Mind.
Do you trust that God has a place for you in the future - and have you put your faith in Jesus to ensure that one day you will spend eternity with Him?
PRAY:
If you have not made the most important decision of your life to Believe in Jesus, and you are ready to do that - pray a simple prayer to acknowledge your decision to trust Him. You can pray something like this:
"Dear Jesus, today I choose to believe in You. I know that my sin separates me from God. I believe that you died and rose again to forgive all my sins in the past, present, and future. I thank you for a new, eternal life. Amen."
If you are already a believer but you are stuck in The Temptation Trap, ask God to show you the other side of your story. Wake up each day this week and ask the Holy Spirit to help you invest in eternity.
