October 13, 2002, SM: Don't Fear the Future

October 13th, 2002, Sunday Morning

"Don't Fear the Future"

The saved in Christ already know their future--tomorrow through eternity

OPENING: Psalm 23 (key: v.6)

Why do people worry? Because they don't know the immediate/distant future (i.e., what's going to happen next)

Frequently worried about: kids, family, money, the world, health, impending war ... hundreds of possible things, fears and phobias
Psalm 23:6: In reading this verse, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever", there is no worry. This verse is not a hope or possibility--it's assured that goodness and mercy will be with you. King David wrote this Psalm because he was confident God was with him

Three major reasons you should be confident (if you're saved):

1: BECAUSE GOD IS WATCHING ME, I WILL BE CONFIDENT

Jeremiah 29:11: Because God is good and wants only for good things to happen to us, he will guide, protect and be with us
Philippians 1:29; 2 Timothy 3:12; Hebrews 11:25: This doesn't mean if we're saved in Christ that we'll experience only good for the rest of our life. Tragedies, disasters, and evil will befall us but the difference is with God, he will turn them into eventual victories (Romans 8:28)
Psalm 145:20: What is for sure is that if you love God, He will preserve (care for) you.
Romans 8:28: Paul writes that God makes all things--good and bad--work out for an eventual good. God doesn't just make good things happen--he causes them to come into existence from past events
- EXAMPLE: Paul's life was full of difficulty. He was a small person with ailing health and poor sight. He was stoned, beaten with rods, shipwrecked three times (2 Corinthians 11:25), thrown in Roman jail without trial (Acts 22:25-29)... and he used these situations to witness (and save) the Roman jail guards and write what is now half the books of the New Testament Bible.
- Your biggest learning experience and test of faith is not while you're comfortable but in difficult situations.
God has ordered his (invisible) angels to protect us. (Reference Ron Rhodes' book, "Angels Among Us")
- Angels are not human beings. Contrary to some beliefs, we do not become them when we die. Angels are spirits. Spirits are invisible (without bodies). However, while invisible, they work among us.
- God commands his angels to protect us from certain evil situations (notice the word certain, not all, because we're not fully immune to experiencing suffering. After all, if Jesus, the Son of God suffered, how much more should we?
  - King David was protected by angels. He was a man "after God's heart" and yet he suffered. (Acts 13:22)

#2: BE CONFIDENT BECAUSE GOD'S GRACE IS WORKING IN YOU

We need to always be grateful for God's mercy and grace upon us or else we'd be in big trouble daily--getting our deserved punishment for every sin we've ever committed. With God's grace and mercy, He doesn't give us what we deserve.
Will you sin in the future? Definitely yes. However, Jesus' death on the cross redeemed us from all sins: past, present and every sin we'll commit until our body dies
Psalm 23:6: God does not have "bad hair days." He does not have certain moody days where he won't give us grace. God's mercy, favor and protection are upon His saved "all the days" of their life.
If you're not "in Jesus Christ" (saved) today, your life is a big question mark. Wouldn't you rather have a big confident exclamation mark? God is The God we can count on. He watches over our life, lives within us, gives us our strength (Philippians 4:13) and victory and if that's not enough, redeemed us to live with Him for all eternity.

#3: YOU CAN BE CERTAIN IN THE FUTURE AND THAT HEAVEN IS WAITING FOR YOU

Psalm 23:6: This verse also tells of the Christian's impending future after the body dies: "...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
- How long is forever? Forever never stops--it's for eternity. Our earthly (terrestrial) body dies but our soul is "BUILT TO LAST."
- Some day your earthly body will die but not you (your soul). You'll either go to Heaven or Hell because your soul is built to last forever
- Why are Christians (the saved people) the most confident people in the world? Because we know WHERE we'll last. We already know the ending to the story of our life and what happens after!
  - 2 Corinthians 5:1: Heaven is our home. Earth is just a pitstop we're passing through.
  - Nobody knows what the stock market will do next week or next year... If we'll go to war with another country... but the most important thing about our life--what happens to it--we (Christians) already confidently know. So if you're saved, what is there to be worried about now?

STORY: Pastor Dr. Chuck Price's mom (who was saved) died of cancer before his dad knew Christ.

With Dr. Price pastoring in Amarillo, Texas, his dad was so shaken about his wife's death that he was opening himself to the gospel by asking his son, Dr. Price, to save him. The following Sunday, Dr. Price's dad was saved at the 0815 service and baptized at the 1100 service.
In retrospect we see Dr. Price's mom's death (who was already saved) caused his unsaved dad to consider Christ in his life. With that consideration, Dr. Price's dad is now saved.
THE POINT: Dr. Price's dad may have spent his eternity in hell if Dr. Price's mom didn't die first.

CLOSER

If you're not saved today, you need to seek and join a Bible-believing church, serve and become "built to last." Why? Because God says today is YOUR day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)