Things That Last

II Cor. 4:18

Most of the things in this life are temporal, they are only temporary. They are tangible things that we see and touch everyday and are very familiar with.

But these ‘things’ will not last for ever!

With time cars rust, houses decay, trees rot, business’ close down, stock market investments crumble, fashions and fads are forgotten, movie stars and rock stars seem to vanish as quickly as they appeared, good health fades into poor health. None of these things will last forever!

That’s why Paul said ‘we look not at the things which are seen … which are …temporal … ( but we look ) at the things which are not seen ( which ) are eternal."

TAB – "we consider ( regard ) not the things that are seen."

We don’t pay any attention to those things because we know they aren’t going to last!

However, we do look to, and consider, and regard those things which are eternal! The things that are going to last long after everything else is gone!

There are two very important things that are eternal, and that will last forever that I want you to consider.

1. The Word of God

Ps. 119:89 – "For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven."

Is. 40:8 – "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever."

Mat. 24:35 – "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

I Pet. 1:25 – "But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word, which by the gospel, is preached unto you."

2. Souls

In Gen. 2:7, God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life and Adam became a living soul, and Adam’s soul is still alive today! The soul never dies!

John 5:28, 29 – "Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

Dan. 12:2 – "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

Every soul that makes it to Heaven will live with God for all eternity, and every soul that is cast into the lake of fire will suffer for all eternity and never die!

In Mat. 25:41, Jesus referred to that lake of fire as an ‘everlasting fire’ and in v. 46 as a place of ‘everlasting punishment.’

In Mark 9:44, 46, 48 said it was a place ‘where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.’

In II Thes. 1:9 Paul described it as a place of ‘everlasting destruction.’

In Rev. 14:11 John said ‘the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night.’

You are here today, and you are very aware of your surroundings.

10,000 years from now, you will be just as aware of your surroundings, because your soul will never die!

What are you looking to? What have you been regarding lately?

Cars? Houses? Money? Entertainment? It’s all going to vanish!

Why don’t we make a commitment to God right now, that from this day forward, we are going to look to, consider, and regard His word, and souls that are going to spend eternity somewhere!

We’re going to consider the things that last!

We’re going to pay attention to His Word, and to lost souls!