Are you focused on Jesus and eternity? This message offers five truths to help you make godly choices, and five ways to focus on Jesus.

This five-week study focuses on you and God. We’ll learn about purpose, how much you matter to God, how precious you are to God, and how to live in the present but focus on eternity.

Purpose, Value, & Focus

Five Truths for Godly Choices

The past four weeks we have looked at Luke 14 to 16. We have considered what your purpose is; that you matter to God; that you are precious in God’s eyes; and that we each have only one life, there is only one God, and we are to serve him alone. Today we are concluding this series. We will see that we must live in the present and be focused on Christ and eternity if we are to arrive in heaven's glory.

Do you want to live a spiritually victorious life? To live in the present, you need to:

1. Know your purpose.

2. Know you matter to God.

3. Know that you are precious in God's eyes.

4. Know you have only one life and serve the one true God alone.

5. Daily live focusing on Jesus and eternity.

Following these five truths will help us make godly choices, guided by the Holy Spirit, so that we remain faithful to the Lord even in difficult times.

Sinners Saved by Grace

I hope and pray that as believers we will catch the heart and vision of God. To see people come to the saving knowledge of Christ. To live conscious of the choices we make that determine our eternal destiny. In fact, you are here today because of the choices you have already made.

I shared over the last few weeks that we are to invite whosoever to join us at the banquet table with Christ in glory. And like the disciples, let us make it our purpose to put Jesus first in all we do and say and invite people to faith in Christ.

Living Christ first can be costly at times however, the blessings of God and eternity with Christ in glory greatly outweighs any cost we might face.

We have seen over the last few weeks that every person is important to the Lord, rich and poor alike, and that one lost soul is one lost soul too many for believers to sit back and do nothing. Each person is important to the Lord and each of you has a purpose to share the truth of Christ to the world and point people to Jesus. With that being said, every believer is called to serve the Lord and serve one another. The blessings, gifts, and talents that God has given you (both spiritual and worldly possessions) are to be shared and used for the glory of God. Serving the Lord is serving the lost in order that they will see the grace, mercy, and love of God through you towards them, both in the good times, difficult times, and even in times of correction. In serving the Lord, may we never lose focus of who we are: sinners saved by the grace of God. We were once poor, undeserving, rebellious souls bound for eternal torment, but by the grace and mercy of God we placed our faith in Christ and are saved.

The grace of God is available to all who will believe and have faith in Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Never forget Jesus is both your Lord and Savior. By focusing on Jesus and eternity you will see that the things of this world are less important and are temporal. The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. So let us live in the present and focus on Christ and eternity.

Reliance on God Now Brings Blessings in Eternity

The Pharisees would have heard Jesus teaching his disciples the story that we are about to look at in Luke 16 regarding the rich man and Lazarus. This story should have been a sobering story to the religious person, such as the Pharisees, who was focused solely on their present life and not on eternity. This story should be a sobering truth for all who hear it.

It is easy to develop tunnel vision (even spiritual tunnel vision) and miss the bigger picture of what God desires and how the choices we make today affect what tomorrow brings. We need to live with our spiritual eyes and ears wide open, serving the Lord and others out of a loving heart and refusing the soft-serve selfish attitude that the world tells us we should expect and deserve.

The story in Luke 16 is a familiar story. A story of two very different people. Two different lifestyles. Two very different hearts. Two different priorities. Two very different outcomes. One is focused on self, the other focused on God. The rich man is worldly and self-sufficient. He is making worldly self-centered choices. His heart is filled with pride. He lives an affluent lifestyle and looks down on the less fortunate. Lazarus is poor, sickly and is dependent on others. He needs help. He is hungry and desires the scraps or leftovers that fell from the rich man’s table. Lazarus does not complain, instead he trusts God. The name Lazarus means God help; God has helped.

The rich man is unconcerned about God. Lazarus is reliant daily on the presence of God.

This past week I read Exodus 33:12-23. I want to share with you two verses that spoke to me as we consider the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15-16, NIV).

Here, Moses is leading the people of God to the promised land. Egypt is behind them, and the promised land is before them. Moses knew that they needed the presence of God with them if they were to be successful and reach the promised land. Moses also knew the people needed the presence of God to distinguish them from the other nations.

We need Jesus and the presence of God in our lives as we live each day if the world is to see a difference in us and we are to enter our promised heaven's glory. We need to focus on Jesus and eternity as we live each day in the present.

The rich man was unconcerned about God because he was dependent on his own ability and wealth. He had all he needed and lived a comfortable life. He had no need for God in the present, or so he thought.

Lazarus needed God for all his daily needs. Lazarus' reliance on God in the present and along life’s journey resulted in his blessing for all eternity.

Today’s Choices Determine Your Eternal Destination

The Israelites lost sight of God over and over. And again, they found themselves worshiping other gods. When things were good, the Israelites turned away from serving God, and God allowed them to go into bondage. When times became very difficult, the Israelites looked to God and he delivered them from the oppression and bondage that they found themselves in due to their sinful choices. People today are no different. When we lose sight of Jesus and eternity with him, we find ourselves knee deep in bondage and sin. We find ourselves spiritually lost, like the Israelites who were on a journey to the promised land.

We are on a journey in this life. A journey much like the Israelites’ journey to the promised land. The poor, selfish, worldly choices the Israelites made caused them to turn their backs to God. They wandered in the desert for forty years rather than entering the promised Land under Moses’ leadership. They were lured away by the shiny lie of the enemy and the desires of their own worldly heart; by an empty promise that only ends one way—in spiritual bondage and death. An entire generation died in the wilderness.

The choices you make along the way will determine your eternal destination. Now I do not say this lightly or to strike some fear in you, but your choices matter. Eternity is real. We will all reach eternity one day. You will reach eternity one day. The only question is: what eternal destination? In Luke 16 we see both Lazarus and the rich man reached eternity but not the same destination.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31).

I want you to notice both Lazarus and the rich man have died. But only the rich man is said to have been buried. There is no mention of Lazarus being buried. With no mention of a burial, it points to the idea that Lazarus being a poor beggar, did not deserve the honor of a proper burial. Jewish society would have looked down upon a sick beggar, as God’s judgment. It was also thought in Jewish society that a man’s wealth was a sign of the blessing of God. Neither are true. The proper burial for the rich man would have been a sign to others that this person was blessed of God. Whereas no proper burial would speak of God’s judgement. However, neither wealth or lack of wealth is a sign of God’s blessing or judgement.

God doesn’t judge a person by outward appearances, and neither should we.

‘But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”’ (1 Samuel 16:7).

“A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God” (Romans 2:28-29).

The same is true regarding the believer. We should not consider a person to be a believer in Christ simply because they have a certain look or mannerism. What does a believer in Christ look like? It’s not a person’s looks that indicate they are a believer in Christ, but the person’s heart and faith in God that determines whether they are a believer. It’s the choices they make along with their actions that reflect their heart; that’s what God looks at.

Outwardly the rich man appeared to be blessed by God, yet inwardly his heart was far from God. The rich man was looked upon with honor because of his clothing and honored by society. Outwardly Lazarus was looked down upon by society because of his apparent condition and appearance. Lazarus was seen by others to have been judged by God, but God doesn’t judge as others might judge. God looks at the heart.

Lazarus looking outwardly poor and sickly is brought near to God because of his faith in God. Lazarus is immediately taken to paradise. To Abraham’s side and is at rest. Now no more mention of hunger or want. No more sores or pain. Instead, Lazarus is comforted and at rest at Abraham’s side. Here Lazarus receives his eternal blessing and reward. Remember the rich man already received his temporal honor in the present and his eternal reward of torment. The rich man will find himself in hell and in torment. He must feel awful physical pain and the agony of knowing that he should have lived and chosen differently.

There are no do-overs in eternity.

The rich man recognizes Lazarus and begs for Lazarus to come and ease his thirst and cool his tongue from the fire he was experiencing. As scripture states, there is a great chasm between the two places. The rich man may still consider himself to be superior to Lazarus and he asks that Lazarus comfort him with a drip of water. But that was not possible because the two places are fixed, and no one can cross to the other side. Then the rich man asks Abraham for Lazarus to be sent to his family, so that they do not end up in the same eternal destination that he finds himself in. The rich man’s brothers most likely would have all passed by Lazarus as did the rich man every day, but none of them gave Lazarus a second look. Not one of them showed Lazarus any concern or pity. Understand, someone laid Lazarus by the rich man’s gate every day. The city gate was a place where things were agreed upon and finalized. It was also a place of judgement. Each day the rich man had an opportunity to care for Lazarus or give him a morsal of food, but he did nothing. Lazarus was an eyesore to him. Lazarus was a social inconvenience. The rich man’s prideful and hard heart is the gate and place of judgement in this man’s life. The lack of concern for Lazarus and God is why the rich man went to hell.

Most likely when Lazarus died the rich man was overjoyed, thinking he would never see him again. But the rich man dies as well and now there Lazarus is at Abraham’s side and the rich man is in the distance at hades. Now the rich man is the beggar, and Lazarus is made whole and blessed. The rich man is now the one in need and in wanting. Lazarus is blessed and with Abraham for eternity.

The rich man, knowing that Lazarus could not go to him, asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers so they do not end up in hades. Abraham answers the rich man’s request and tells him that if his family won’t believe the words of scripture, if they did not believe the prophets, then they will not believe if someone comes back from the dead. Abraham’s words are proved true at Jesus' resurrection and down the ages to today.

Jesus died and rose again, and people still refuse to believe. Friends, many people believe the lie of the enemy, that when they die there is no more. But that is not true and it is not what the bible teaches.

Jesus Loves You

In John 11 you find a man named Lazarus who is raised from the dead. Is it a coincidence that Jesus raises a man from the dead named Lazarus? I think not.

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 11:38-44).

Next, we see that some believed but others did not.

“Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin” (John 11:45-47).

It is here after this miracle that the religious leaders decided to kill Jesus. Seeing a person raised from the dead did nothing to change the heart of the spiritually blind and hard-hearted Pharisees. It only angered them more. Following Lazarus being raised from the dead, John's gospel records Jesus triumphantly enters into Jerusalem and, in a matter of a few days, Jesus is arrested, crucified, and buried. Three days later the tomb is empty. Jesus has risen from the dead and people still refuse to believe.

I am thankful at how John ends his gospel. Peter, who once said he did not know Jesus; Peter, who once said that he was not a follower of Jesus, is sought out by Jesus and Peter is asked directly by Jesus “do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Peter is reinstated as a disciple of Christ (see John 21:15-27).

Peter professes his faith and love for Jesus. Jesus asked Peter to profess his love three times; the same amount of times Peter declined his involvement with Jesus. Jesus gave Peter the same number of chances to profess his love. Jesus did this for Peter's sake, not because he had to. After Peter's profession of faith Jesus tells Peter, now follow me.

We will all make mistakes. We will all sin. But know this, Jesus loves you the sinner, and hates the sin. We have seen the love of God throughout this five-week series. We have seen how whosoever will believe will receive eternal life with Christ in glory.

The remainder of Peter's life was focused on Jesus and eternity. The apostle John and the other disciples were focused on Jesus and eternity. The believers who were martyred for their faith each focused on Jesus and eternity.

What about you? Are you focused on Jesus and on eternity?

5 ways to be focused on Jesus:

1. Focus on the plan of God to reach the lost.

2. Express the Love of God and serve others.

3. Place others before yourself.

4. Know you are loved by God.

5. Focus on the truth of God.

Being focused on eternity helps us make godly choices in the present and knowing the choices you make in life will determine your eternity. Eternity is real and forever, being either the blessing of being with Christ in glory or an eternity of pain and torment without end.

The choice to focus on Jesus and eternity is a no-brainer unless you are focused only on the present and believe the lie of the enemy.

The rich man made his choice. The rich man knew of eternity and yet was focused on the present and his worldly heart blinded him regarding the choices he made and the life he lived. He knew Abraham and could see Lazarus at his side. He remembered the beggar, Lazarus. Now he is the one begging and in agony forever without relief.

Lazarus made his choice. Even in his condition he looked to God, and he received his eternal reward.

Choose today how you will live. Be like Joshua.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Choose who you will serve today. Let this day be a day that you remember for all eternity. Fix your heart and mind on the Lord Jesus. Set the compass of your soul on eternity with Christ in glory.

Know you are loved by God. Know you have only one life to live. Know there are no do-overs. The rich man in Luke 16 is a witness of that.

Live in the present and focused on Jesus and eternity.

Suggested Praise and Worship

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