Focus 3 (of 4)-Respecting Eternity

How can we comprehend, let alone respect, the value of eternity?

Consider this ice breaker as you gather for the Spotlight.
What book genre do you find most interesting?

See what this Spotlight—and series—is focused on.
Tap on the words "Focus 3" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.

Let’s talk about the perfect stock?
Watch this video clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight. (And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)

Let’s play a little The Price Is Right.
Here’s how to play:

• Drag and put the images in ascending order by annual cost. (Costs are average US Household Expenses from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey)
• Click the “SOLUTION” button when you’re ready to see the right order and the average annual cost per item. 

Value is a tricky thing to calculate, but here’s the question we really want to ask in this game: How much would you spend to give someone eternal life?


Jesus spent his life, but there are still many, many people who don’t have it. What annual cost would you be willing to pay if it meant a person could live forever?


(No, this isn’t a heavy-handed giving ploy from Illume. Not at all, in fact. Illume is not a gift-obligating church. What this is, however, is a chance to think about where you’re spending and what you’re spending on. Temporary stuff has a purpose and its own version of necessary. But an investment in a person that leads them into eternity lasts forever. What percent of your spending should that kind of potential honestly get?)

Welcome Perspective
Imagine a stock that would always go up in value, never down.
You’re imagining the human soul.

Interact with this presentation to start changing how you look at “never.”
Before you get into it, understand this: Properly assessing and valuing eternity can lead you to be really thankful that God gave you a place in eternity. At the same time, even if he hadn’t—if he’d just made you temporary—you’d still be very blessed.

Jesus points this out when he compares the blessings you have with those of flowers in a field. You’re clothed, too—like the flowers—and beyond that, you’re not going to disappear soon (like the grass does seasonally.)


If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Matthew 6:30

Being eternal means that God’s love and his promises for you are not only true now, but they will continue being true forever. This is a powerful thought.

(Use the presentation below to think about it further. Click the arrows in the frame below to navigate your way through the interactive presentation.)

Eternity has always been God’s plan.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:8–9

Watch this video to see how the Tree of Life shows that God has always wanted and planned eternal value for humanity.

Explore the potential multitude.
Jump now to the other end of the Bible - to the book of Revelation. This text provides a vivid picture of the eternity of believers. The people you’re doing this Spotlight will hopefully be in that multitude. In fact, every person you meet has the potential to be in that multitude.


After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Revelation 7:9–17

Now that you’ve read it once, listen to it again using the video below, and really try to picture the people who could be in this multitude. They are the ones who are eternal.

Choose your own adventure/song.
Listen to one of the two songs below. (If you’re doing this Spotlight in a group, make sure some are listening to one and some to the other.)


After listening, report back to your group with the following…

1. Which song you chose (and why).
2. One takeaway you had from the song.

Lyrics from God Is Young by John Mark McMillan


The future doesn’t exist—
it’s a projected idea
that’s got you running in circles;
it’s got you chasing your tail;
it’s got you running in circles;
it’s got you up on the fence.

God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.
God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.

Time it isn’t real—
it’s just the measure of change
that’s got you running in circles;
it’s got you chasing your tail;
it’s got you running in circles;
it’s got you up on the fence.

God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.
God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.
God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.
God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.

The past is nothing but context.
It’s not like a place that you could go back to.
You’re running in circles!
It’s got you chasing your tail;
it’s got you running in circles;
it’s got you up on the fence.

God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.
God is young, yeah, God is young
and maybe we’re the ones who grow old.

Lyrics from Terminal by Jon Foreman


The doctor says I’m dying,
I die a little every day,
but he’s got no prescription that could
take my death away.
The doctor says it don’t look so good—
it’s terminal.

Some folks die in offices one day at a time.
They could live a hundred years
but their souls already died.
Don’t let your spirit die before your body does!
We’re terminal, we’re terminal,
we’re terminal.

We are, we are the living souls
with terminal hearts, terminal parts.
Flickering like candles,
shimmering like candles,
we're fatally flawed, we’re fatally flawed.

Whenever I start cursing
at the traffic or the phone
I remind myself that we have all
got cancer in our bones.
Don’t yell at the dead, show a little respect—
it’s terminal, it’s terminal.

We are, we are the living souls
with terminal hearts, terminal parts.
Flickering like candles,
shimmering like candles,
we're fatally flawed, we’re fatally flawed.
We are, we are the living souls
with terminal hearts, terminal parts.
Flickering like candles,
shimmering like candles,
we’re fatally flawed, we’re fatally flawed.

[spoken word—see below]

We are, we are the living souls
with terminal hearts, terminal parts.
Flickering like candles,
flickering like candles,
we’re fatally flawed in the image of God.

Near the end of Terminal, during a spoken word section, there’s this quote from the Bible:


Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
For our days here are like grass,
we flourish like a flower of the field.
The wind blows and it is gone
and its place remembers it no more.
Naked we came from our mother’s womb
and naked we will depart,
for we bring nothing into the world
and we take nothing away.

Can you see how having a proper disrespect for the temporary can lead to greater respect for eternity?

Worship Perspective
God blesses people, then blesses again by making them eternal.

Discover what it looks like to live with one eye on eternity.
Properly assessing eternity’s enormity (aka the fact that the dead rise) gives you the superpower of instantly assessing everything else’s value. Jesus told a story that illustrated this in Matthew 25.


“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Matthew 25:1–5

• Two of Jesus go-to phrases when he’s about to make a point are “at that time” and “the kingdom of heaven”—and this parable has them both! 
• In a big way, this parable is about lamps in the dark. What does a lamp let you do in the dark? Why would this be even more valuable in Judea in 30 A.D. than it is in Seattle in 2021 A.D.? 
• How many things do the foolish virgins have with them? How many things do the wise have? 
• Did any of the virgins intend to fall asleep? Does the answer to that question affect what you think “became drowsy and fell asleep” is metaphorically depicting? 

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

Matthew 25:6–9

• Remember, this isn’t a true story, it’s a parable that Jesus told to make a point. As he told it, he made it so that the wise versions couldn’t share their oil with the foolish ones. With that in mind, what do you think the extra oil is symbolizing? 
• At this point, in light of the focus of this Spotlight, how would you say the wise virgins were “respecting eternity” and how would you say the foolish virgins were “disrespecting eternity”?
• In what ways do you see this happen around you? 

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Matthew 25:10–13

• Remember, this is a story told to make a point. Jesus is less of a jerk than the bridegroom here, but the truth remains: time runs out, and when it does, it’s gone.
• After seeing what happened to the foolish virgins, some Christians have understandably become obsessed with paying attention to the “end of times.” In fact, the number of Christians who suspect that the last day is very close has risen dramatically in the last year. This is unfortunate, because figuring out when the end will come is not the point of this parable. What is the point? 
• What can a person do to live like the wise virgins, with your lamp lit and extra oil ready?

There’s a lot to think about there. Good job working through it.

Relax and take in an excellent version of the spiritual, Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning, as a reward!

Consider how eternal thinking can lead to some hard choices.
Grab a piece of paper and a writing utensil, folding the paper into thirds, and then opening it back up so you can see all three sections.


(Like this—see below.)


The devil wants nothing more than to get you to think in short-term ways, forgetting the importance of eternity. He’s a pro at making it seem like the consequences are insignificant. Jesus warned against this with some very strong language.


If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Matthew 18:8–9

Now, label the upper left corner of each third of your paper:

1. Write “Hands” in the top section,
2. “Feet” in the middle section, and
3. “Eyes” in the bottom section.
   
   

(Again, like this—see below.)



Think about and discuss these questions:

• What types of human activity do hands, feet, and eyes represent, respectively? 
• Jesus uses the term “stumble” here. How is that different than a full-out “fall”? (This is actually pretty good news!) 

Now, spend two minutes on each of the following sections. (If you’re in a group, designate someone to be the timer.)


Your goal in those two minutes is to write down as many things that are causing you to stumble in that area as you can. (Just in case you didn’t come to a conclusive answer, “hands” represent what you do, “feet” represent where you go, and “eyes” represent what you see/hear.)


(Note: Once you’ve done all three sections, share something you wrote down with the group.)


Ready? Go!


Fold the paper all the way back up (so that it is a third the size of the full sheet). Draw a pair of eyes on the top. Be sure to make them large!



In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, you saw how we are to have lamps that are lit—which is a way of saying we should be living life actively—and, at the same time, have jars of oil—which is a way of saying we should be ready for the long-haul of eternity. Let’s pretend these two eyes you just drew symbolize those two activities—one is near-sighted and the other is far-sighted.


“If your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away.” This is a serious statement, meant to emphasize the significance of eternity. “Better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”


What have you been unwilling to give up for the sake of your eternity? That’s a good question, but it’s also easy to dodge. Consider this one instead: What have you been unwilling to give up for the sake of the eternity of those around you?


Put the eyes back together by putting the flat sides of the torn halves together. It might look a little funny, and it’s a bit of a dad joke, but the goal here is to become “cross-eyed.” This is the perspective of Jesus, who threw his whole body into the fires of hell—not for his own eternity, but for yours.



Respecting eternity means intentionally seeing the eternity that exists all around you, all as a result of Jesus work on the cross. People need the fruits of your hands, feet, and eyes in many ways, but they need the fruit of the Tree of Life most of all.

Learn Perspective
Eternity is bigger than the now, so look to it for purpose.

Practice serving with eternity in mind.
Having respect for eternity doesn’t mean that Christians “don’t care” about temporal issues and problems. It just means that Christians see those opportunities to serve others in light of eternity.

It takes time and practice to articulate this distinction, but it is one of the key things that can make Christian acts of service different from the acts of service offered by those without an eternal perspective.

Try to finish this thought for each of the images below:


“Seeing this opportunity to serve in light of eternity makes me even more excited to pitch in because…” 

Feel free to submit a prayer request by filling out the below form.
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)

Pray through your requests—together—as a group.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.

Serve Perspective
Days expire—but people don’t. Liberally take time for others.

Pray for those struggling with the reality of eternity.
Everyone struggles to have an eternal perspective. Take time today to pray for those who are being affected by that struggle. It might be someone who’s making short-term decisions with long-term ramifications. It might be someone who is thinking this life ends at death. No matter who it is, let’s pray for them.

This will be a simple popcorn-style prayer, but remember, you’re praying for specific people. It’s OK to skip their names, saying things like, “I pray for my friend who is…” Try to keep the prayers relatively simple. When it seems like everyone has mentioned all the people they’d like to today, somebody say “Amen.”

Listen to this song as you close today.
This song is a great meditation on the quickly passing realities of life and the long-term significance of eternity.

There is an especially well-said spoken word piece at the end that references the death of Kobe Bryant as a reminder of the importance of thinking in eternal terms. 

Sing along with (or listen to) this song to close out this Spotlight.
Feel free to sing along or simply listen. Do what makes you comfortable—but do whatever helps you focus on the song's meaning best.

Farewell Perspective
Eternity frees life to be fun and have purpose that lasts forever.

Let's wrap things up by taking a look at what's Current at Illume.

Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.