This document summarizes a sermon given at the Jackson Street Church of Christ. It discusses the shortness of life on earth compared to eternity. It encourages keeping one's focus on eternity rather than temporary pleasures and stresses the importance of choosing to live for God to gain eternal life in heaven rather than risk eternal damnation in hell. The key points are that we will all live forever either in heaven or hell; we should focus on eternity, not just our brief time on earth; and it is better to suffer briefly here and gain eternal happiness than to seek pleasures now and face eternal punishment.

1. W E L C O M E T O T H E
J A C K S O N S T R E E T C H U R C H O F C H R I S T
P L E A S E T U R N O F F C E L L P H O N E S

2. Philippians 3:12-15 Not that I have already
attained, or am already perfected; but I press
on, that I may lay hold of that for which
Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13
Brethren, I do not count myself to have
apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching
forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I
press toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15
Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have
this mind; and if in anything you think
otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

3. OUR LIFE
VS
ETERNITY

4. OUR LIFE VS ETERNITY?
A.Ecclesiastes 3:11 …He has put eternity in
their hearts…
B.Something within us wants to live eternally.
C.A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
D.Are we satisfied with this life without
thinking about eternity?
E. Is living our life here on earth to please
ourselves worth losing eternal life in
heaven?

5. I. OUR LIFE
HERE IS VERY
SHORT
COMPARED TO
ETERNITY.

6. I. OUR LIFE HERE IS VERY SHORT
COMPARED TO ETERNITY.
A. Job 14:1-2 "Man who is born of woman Is of
few days and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth
like a flower and fades away; He flees like a
shadow and does not continue.
B. James 4:13-14 Come now, you who say,
"Today or tomorrow we will go to such and
such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell,
and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not
know what will happen tomorrow. For what is
your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a
little time and then vanishes away.

7. II. WE NEED TO KEEP
OUR EYES ON
ETERNITY AND BE
CONCERNED ABOUT
OUR HAPPINESS
THERE AND FORGET
ABOUT THE SMALL
SEGMENT HERE.

8. II. WE NEED TO KEEP OUR
EYES ON ETERNITY
A. Colossians 3:1-2 If then you were raised with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your
mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
B. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose
heart. Even though our outward man is perishing,
yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen. For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.

9. II. WE NEED TO KEEP OUR
EYES ON ETERNITY
C. Hebrews 13:14 For here we have no continuing
city, but we seek the one to come.
D. Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen
them afar off were assured of them, embraced
them and confessed that they were strangers and
pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such
things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15
And truly if they had called to mind that country
from which they had come out, they would have
had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a
better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is
not ashamed to be called their God, for He has
prepared a city for them.

10. III. HAD YOU
RATHER BE HAPPY
DURING THIS
SMALL SEGMENT
HERE OR FOR
ETERNITY?

11. III. BE HAPPY DURING THIS
SMALL SEGMENT HERE?
A. Are you willing to sacrifice some happiness
here to assure your happiness there?
B. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us.
C. Mt 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he
gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or
what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
D. Jn 12:25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he
who hates his life in this world will keep it to
life eternal.

12. IV. IT IS BETTER TO
DENY YOURSELF
PLEASURES HERE
AND HAVE LIFE
ETERNAL IN
HEAVEN.

13. IV. IT IS BETTER TO DENY
YOURSELF PLEASURES HERE
A. Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he
became of age, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the
passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
B. Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to His
disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake
will find it.

14. V. IT IS BETTER TO
SUFFER FOR A
SHORT TIME HERE
THAN FOR AN
ETERNITY IN
HELL.

15. V. IT IS BETTER TO SUFFER FOR
A SHORT TIME HERE
A. Mark 9:43-48 If your hand causes you to sin, cut
it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed,
rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into
the fire that shall never be quenched-- 44 where
'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not
quenched.' 45 And if your foot causes you to sin,
cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame,
rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell,
into the fire that shall never be quenched-- 46
where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is
not quenched.' 47 And if your eye causes you to
sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the
kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having
two eyes, to be cast into hell fire-- 48 where 'Their
worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'

16. V. IT IS BETTER TO SUFFER FOR
A SHORT TIME HERE
B. Matthew 16:26-27 For what profit is it to a
man if he gains the whole world, and loses
his own soul? Or what will a man give in
exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of
Man will come in the glory of His Father
with His angels, and then He will reward
each according to his works.

17. THIS LIFE OR ETERNITY?
A. WE ARE ALL GOING TO LIVE
ETERNALLY – EITHER IN HEAVEN OR
IN HELL.
B. ARE YOU FOCUSING ON THE VERY
SMALL SEGMENT OF THIS LIFE ON
EARTH OR ON ETERNTIY?

19. TONIGHT’S SERMON:
THE ABUNDANT LIFE - CHEERFULNESS