Are You Ready for Everything?

All right, then let's go to this. Look at my watch. I'm sure we've got all this ready to go. All right, there's the title. Are you ready for everything? Some of us are ready for some things. Some of us may not be ready for anything, but are you ready for everything? We were at the Feast of Tabernacles this year. You heard various messages about a new world order that will come, about actually God being able to take dirt and turn it into divine. Beauty for Ashes from Mr. Shavey. And perhaps you even heard about our divine inheritance, because it is. There are biblical examples of people that are not ready for everything. I break that out because what is everything? Do we really know? Can we comprehend what everything is? No. No, we can't. There's no way God even said it, 1 Corinthians 2.9. We can't even dream it, what He has planned for us. There's some biblical examples of people that are not, that were not ready for everything. It's all through the Bible. Take Solomon. Was He ready? God gave him everything. Wisdom, wealth, power, prestige, you name it, He got it all. And for 20 years, He was right with God. People came because they were amazed at His wisdom. Kings from all over the earth. One to ask Him questions, and He answered them. And God blessed Him. And for about 20 years, thing went well. But then, the last 20, He slowly began to lose everything. Lucifer. Didn't He have it all? He was at the peak. He was right in God's throne. A beautiful voice. He had power. He had prestige. But of course, we read about in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 what happens. He couldn't handle everything. We even have the story of David. David had so much, but then again, he wanted more, didn't he? And if it wasn't for a man after God's own heart and that incredible heart that he had and that repentance that he was able to show us through Psalm 51, his fate would be unknown. But think about it. God actually told him, I gave you this, I gave you this, I gave you this, and I would have given you more. What does that tell us? God wants to give us everything, doesn't He? God has no problem giving us things. But can we handle the kings? You read from the two books which were actually one book, originally called just Kings and Chronicles. Man split them up into four books instead of two. But we're given a history of over 600 years, the story of kings and even one queen, that God gave all. God gave them wealth, power, prestige. He gave them so much. And most of them wasted their way.

Makes you think. There are, though, biblical examples of people who are ready for everything. Will we be on that list? Will we be divine inheritors? Yes. Inherit eternity, inherit divinity. To be like our father and our elder brother who are divine. It's a lot to it. I looked it up and divine. Actually means being like God.

Everything. Are we ready for everything? I don't think I'm ready to be like God yet. I don't know about you. I don't think I'm ready. Maybe you are. Maybe you are ready for eternity. As a divine being. No. Only you know. You and God know. See, there are examples of people who were ready for everything. Abraham was one. Right? Abraham was one. There are others, Job. Daniel, Isaiah. Then the big question mark. Think about it. Job had power, wealth, prestige. It didn't go to his head. Even when he was tested beyond what most of us could have even feared to test, he tested. In the end, what happened to him? In the end, he just said, but now my I see you. Which is really saying, now I understand you even better, God. Quite an impressive individual. There was Daniel, who was what? Right? Working under Nebuchadnezzar. Did being up here inflate his ego? No. Did it pull him away from God? No. These are examples of people who are ready for everything. Isaiah. I look at Isaiah. He worked as a prophet for four kings and, probably doesn't say, but most think five. Last one put him to death. But he had incredible understanding. Didn't get to him. It didn't change him. He could handle the prestige. He could handle his position. And of course, there's always Joseph. Which we've read about in a Bible study. We'll continue to move towards Joseph here. He had power, prestige. Well, he was second in command of all of Egypt. And in one way, he was probably more respected than even the Pharaoh.

Then there's the question of you. Me.

We all sometimes think we're in control. We can handle it. Can we? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Tonight, 11 o'clock.

$1.6 billion is going to be given away in a lottery. What would you do with $1.6 billion? I did look it up. I did find out that if you take the lump sum, you're only getting $780 million. But I think most everyone in here could get by on that kind of scratch. So the taxes take a lot. Would you want this?

You could afford it. You wouldn't even miss it, would you? Wouldn't even miss paying for that. We had traffic here today that was really heavy. We had two or three arrows and little fender benders or something on the way. Well, if I had that money, I'd just say, loan me a helicopter here and fly me up to Vero Beach. I wouldn't be late. No?

Could you handle it? Because, see, God is incredibly rich. He owns it all. We have to think in our own minds. And don't you sometimes just run that through your mind? I mean, someone once told me that I, you know, you can't win if you don't play. So if you don't put numbers in as possible, God wants to give you $1.6 billion tonight. I said, yes, I can win and not play.

He said, how is that? I said, somebody will give me a ticket. Somebody will give me the winning ticket. If God wants me to have it, knows that I can handle it because I've been given lottery tickets before. I would help someone and they wouldn't take any. I said, no, I don't want your money. I don't do it for money. So then they said, we'll take this. Now, I should have shown more faith than that because I just put them in my truck. And a couple of days later when they announced it, I actually looked just in case.

But it brings us to this point of asking, could we handle it? Because God gave it to some men and women who handled it and others who didn't. I like to always think about myself because I can't handle it. Otherwise, He would have given it to me. So when we talk about Job and Daniel, Isaiah, Joseph, Abraham, various people, what made them unique? Prestige. They all had it. Most of them had wealth, power. Even Abraham had what?

318 men went to battle with him. Everybody did. Well, what's interesting is because they got prestige because most people want this. I used to work for a boss who told me as I was over the man, and I said, Well, one of the men, he's going to need about a dollar an hour more raised. And he said, Well, we don't need to pay him a dollar an hour more. He said, Pay him 50 cents and give him a title. He said, People like titles. You know, give him as your assistant. You're the supervisor.

Make him a foreman. I went. I just shook my head. I went and told him, You got 50 cents an hour raised. But he'd like to raise you to foreman. Oh, well, that's good. He'd rather have that than the extra 50 cents. He'd rather have that than the extra 50 cents. And most people, a lot of people are that way.

Like a title. But when you can handle the prestige, guess what usually happens? You develop character. And people see it. This is what God wants. He wants to see us develop godly character. He wants to see us become more like his son. And when that character is developed, the proof of that is shown by having this and this. How many people you know that have the highest prestige in the world and yet are so humble?

Not a lot. It's not real common. Because usually you have prestige. It's like waiting for people to wait on you. That's not what Christ said they are about. So what is preparing you for your divine inheritance? What is preparing you for divine inheritance? I think most of us come up with the same answer. This life, this life that we're living right now is preparing us. Because we go through life and it should be that experience. And boy, we've all got that, right? It's one of the most expensive things we'll ever acquire.

Accumulate. Is experience. Experience should equal wisdom. Experience should equal wisdom. Wisdom to make wise decisions. Wisdom to live a certain way. Does God always want experience? Is there anything, any job you've ever had where you didn't need any experience?

I've never had one of those jobs. Where I didn't know anything. Clearless. Right? I feel, and Bill, Jeff, maybe you or others, we're in the military. And I don't think you can ever find one story of the military, any branches of the service, that come forward in your first day in to join the military. They say, okay, Bill, it's your first day here. Here's your battalion. Go lead them in a battle. It's never happened. What do you think God wants us to be? Because you have flown a Cessna, you don't get to get out of that aircraft after the first time or two and go jump into 747.

If you do, I want to know because I don't want to fly on that plane. American Airlines is not going to say, oh, you flew a Cessna. Let me give you this. Let me give you, let you do this. Not going to happen. It takes experience. If you've ever had a home built or ever know a home builder, you know, if I ever had a house built, I don't want the first house this guy built.

I want the hundredth house. We're on the first house. Guess what? Yes, that he's going to be able to correct the second house and second house, the third house. Well, I want the hundredth house. I want the hundredth house. I want the experience. This is what God wants from us. He wants us to experience life so that we can be better divine inheritors so that we are that way. You know, I played a few games of high school basketball.

It wasn't very good. And you know, tonight when we drive home, I can't just drive down to AAA Arena and tell the Heat, oh, I'm taking, I'm playing point guard tonight because I've played ball before. They would laugh at me because of my height, because of my color of my hair. And they would say, no. But you see, just because I play ball doesn't make me good enough to do that. Just because you've lived life doesn't make you wise enough to handle issues and problems.

It's by handling the issues and problems of life that we learn wisdom through that experience. And we begin to be able to help other people, especially younger people, so they don't make those mistakes. I know my father tried to tell me many times, oh, well, you need to do this, and you need to do that. I'm like, he just didn't get it. Boy, I wish I'd have gotten it back then, taken some of that advice. But you see, there's a world coming that's going to need people who have lived life but they're divine.

They're servants. That's part of this inheritance. Because you see, all physical things are time sensitive. Look around this room. Yes, go around. Look around. Look at everybody. Look at what? Look at these chairs. Look at this. Look at this. Everything's not going to, nothing's going to be here in 500 years. It's all going to be gone. It's time sensitive. It's physical.

It's temporary. We're temporary. Unless we're divine inheritors. Unless we inherit eternal life. Nothing we can buy. Now, $1.6 billion, not going to buy us eternity. God said it's a gift. It's a gift He gives.

All of us are on a clock. Seventy. I thought seventy was old. Twenty years ago. I'm 63. It's not that old. Thought eighty was like, what? That's one foot in the grave. No, I'm just 17 years away.

The Bible even talks about those who are blessed to live seventy, and maybe even eighty. It's a blessing from God. All on a clock.

I had to think about that this week because when I turned fifty, I didn't see it as a clock. Got a lot of time left. Man, thirteen years went by fast. And then I realized, I'm on a clock. I'm on the clock. I don't know. I may not have next week. Who knows? Because God controls that. But I need to, as Moses said in the only Psalm you ever wrote, that we know of. It's only recorded in Psalm 90. Number your days.

So I ask again, are you ready for everything? For all the prestige that's going to come with being an inheritor of divinity? Are you ready for eternal life? When I had a grandmother that lived to be ninety-nine point nine, she's four days away from a hundred. I had a great grandmother who lived to be a hundred, over a hundred years ago. Okay. That's as far as I can see. As far as I'm known now, there's other people who live longer, but I don't know. Okay. So how does this little mind that God has given me handle eternity? It can't. I'm still having to process eternity. So let's go and look at a few scriptures before I end today here. Because you see, everything. Ask the question, are you ready for everything? Everything includes eternal life. And somewhere down the road, that's all we will be. Is eternal beings. Now we haven't lived forever. God's eternal. Because he never had a beginning. He's never had an end. We had a beginning. But he's making it possible so we will not have an end. Let's go to Isaiah. Isaiah 57. We can go there. Isaiah 57. Verse 15 from the New Living Translation. Think about these words. I put this New Living Translation because I've got to develop that mindset. Maybe you already have it. Maybe you're ready for it. But I'm not. And I don't think I'm alone. I don't want God to say, are you qualified to be a divine being? I'm not going to go. Yes, I am. Step back, Christ. No. Did I ever do that? But it's like, no, I've got a long way to go. I'm not ready. But I need to have that mindset. Let's go read this verse. The high and lofty one who lives in eternity. That's going to be me. Because if you're part of the God family, you are high. You're going to be glorified. Do you know what glorified means? If you don't, look it up. It's mind-boggling. The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the holy one, you ready to be holy all the time? I have moments of being holy. I do. I actually have moments of being holy. And I feel good. And then I realize I can't feel too good because then I'm not holy anymore. But here, this is what it's describing. High and lofty ones who lives in eternity, the holy one says, I live in the high and holy place. That's us. That's what we're going to be doing. With those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. That's me. That's what I'm still working on. Still working on this. Still need to be revived. Still need to be restored. Not ready for everything yet.

Still got work to do. Let's go to John 12. John 12. John 12, verse 25. It said, those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Eternal life. So you see, if my thoughts are too much on this world right now, that's all I get. So if I want everything in this world so much, and I just love it, and I just can't give it up, and I just want my things out, God's gonna say, I'm gonna give you what you want. You want this world? You can have it. This is yours. Go have it. Go do whatever you want. But this is all there is. And it has an expiration date. Or, or, you can have it, a life of abundance for eternity. We can't handle it. Eternity. Yes. Forever and ever and ever. Let's go to Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 3. I hate to think about Ecclesiastes, because I always like that. First, eight verses remind me of so many things, but let's go to verse 11. So yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. I don't know about you, but I see some beautiful stuff out. And it's beautiful for its time, but it's temporary. He has planted eternity in the human heart. But even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. Of course, I can't. But I love what he said. He has planted eternity in the human heart. It's possible for us to know. It's possible for us to not just think about, well, how long is eternity? It's possible for us to know it in here. It's possible for him to teach us. About eternity so that we can be there when that's given out. But you know what he didn't say? He's planted eternity in the human brain. But it's the heart. This is where he wants us to have it. So that we will want it. You don't hear love songs about, oh, I love you in my head all the time. I just, you know, I love you. Love you up here. Why? Because everybody wants it here. It's kind of the center of a human being. It's kind of the pumps of blood, but it also is symbolic of the very core of a person. And he wants us to understand eternity in the very core of our being. So there's final words for one who he would be an unlikely divine inheritor. He lived over two thousand years ago. And just like the old Forrest Gump movie, he wasn't a smart man. He was Cephas. He was Cephas, the uneducated fisherman.

But he had a heart. He was impetuous. Had a mouth sometimes. It should have stayed shut, but it didn't. He's bold, like too many of us men sometimes. Step out of the boat!

I want to finish the sermon in the next couple minutes. I'd like you to turn to 1 Peter 5. 1 Peter 5. When 1 Peter 5 starts, the very first few verses, he's actually saying, and now I want a word to you who are elders in the church. So he's going to give teaching to elders in the church. Well, who are these elders in the church? Leaders in the church. What are you?

Are you leaders? A lead by example? Servants by example?

We, as Christians, we put on that moniker. We carry that with us. If you are, if you believe, or if you are a Christian, you are a leader in your community, in your family, because people see you. Whether they get to know you or not, they know whether you, what day you worship on. They know whether you're an honest person. You know why they know you're an honest person? Because everybody in the neighborhood knows who's not honest, right? You know who's a thief. You know who's a liar. That's community. So that's part of this being that example that we are to be. And Peter understood that. And so he leaves us, this uneducated fisherman. He leaves us with some powerful words about eternity. And at one time, he wasn't ready for everything. But by the time he gets to the end, he's ready. You can read it. And he wants to encourage all of us. And so we follow the same path. 1 Peter 5 verse 2. First word. First word. That's the circle word. That's the word you serve. That's what I have circled in my Bible. Because that's the main word in this verse. Care. Care. Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly, not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. He'd say, well, he's talking to elders. No. Care. This church cares for people. I've seen it. That's why we care about Anne. Okay? So we care about Anne Branoh. Who died. And Bob. Lisa. We care. Yeah, Diane. Hopefully they're listening. Maybe they are. She gets Dale to take care of her now. She's been taking care of him. I want to hear how that story comes out. Sorry, Dale. Just, you're listening. But we have, we're known. And why would God want somebody around for eternity if they don't care about other people? Everybody here, we have people who serve, people who do. I mean, they pick up, everybody just, there's no, like, I'm the elder and you're not. Or, listen, Mr. Deacon, I'm the head deacon. I'm the assistant deacon. This, God doesn't want any of that. That's why the same word for deacon, elder, minister, whatever, all comes from deaconos, which means servant. I'm your servant. I'm the one you call if you want something. And I'll see if I can do it. You're not here to serve me. I'm here to serve you. That's very, very important. And so, if you have that same mentality, then you're going to serve other people, if they call. Okay, let's finish this. Verse 3. Don't lord it over people assigned to your care. Boy, haven't we seen the abuse of that. You know, I have been in the church of God for decades. And I learned how not to be a pastor by many than as many as I learned how to be a pastor. Because I didn't want to be like that. But leave them by your own good example. And when the great shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. It's never-ending. That's powerful, but it starts by caring for people and starts being a servant. Let's go to verse 10 as we wrap up. In his kindness, God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. Eternal glory. Glorified state is to be like God. For eternity, never again have to worry about the hip. Never have to worry about the ticker. Never have to worry about skin cancer. Never have to worry about anything. Never have to worry about somebody running over us. Okay? On a bike.

This is what God has promised. So you share in his eternal glory, and it's all made possible because of our elder brother, Jesus Christ. So what is our job?

Getting ready. Getting ready for everything.