What is Your Inheritance

The sermonette was an interesting introduction to my sermon, and I thank so much Oliver, because indeed, many of us, we live in a society today with many fears. We really have many fears. And quite often, we get as if overthrown by these fears, and we allow them to overcome us with anxiety, pressures, and difficulties. But we always have to look beyond that. And I thank Oliver for bringing up this point, because one additional thing we need to have, we need to focus on our goal, on our inheritance, on the promise that God has for us. You see, brethren, God loves us so much and cares for us so much that it is easy to forget. But God wants you and I, wants all, every one of us, and our children. He wants our children in the kingdom of God. And He's got something for you, young people. He's got a hope for you. And so, what is our inheritance? What is your true inheritance, young teenagers, young adults, young children in the church? In fact, what is our inheritance as adults and some of us as older? Second, second age, let's say it that way, young people. So, what is the promise to us? Can we visualize that? Because if you and I visualize that promise, and we see it profoundly, it gives us hope. It helps us to fight our fears. Because your heavenly dad, your eternal dad, wants you there. And He's got a plan for you and I. He's not doing all this thing in vain. He didn't give His son to die for you and I, just for, oh well, for whatever. He did it because He has a plan for you, and He has a promise for you and I. And particularly for you, young people, you've got a big hope, because you're going to be the leaders in the world tomorrow soon to come. God wants you there to lead the world tomorrow. So, what is the promise? What is the promise that He gave to us? And where is that promise? And when will we receive that promise? Well, to answer those questions, we have to start at the beginning. To whom was the promise that of what? We are to inherit? Originally made. To whom was that promise originally made? So, turn with me to Galatians chapter 3 verse 16.

Galatians chapter 3 verse 16. And it reads, Now to Abram and to his seed, which is Jesus Christ, he's the seed, came through the line of Abram and is the seed where the promise is made. To Abram and to Christ where the promise is made. And he does not say to seeds as of many, but as of one, to your seed, who is Christ. The promise was made to Christ and to Abram, of course, originally. And a little later in verse 29, you and I can read, and if you and I and us and you young children, you teenagers, you young adults, if you are crushed, then you are Abram's seed and hairs according to the promise. In other words, you are children of Abram through Christ.

And therefore, you are inheritors. You will inherit that promise if you are in Christ. So, through Christ, you young people, young boys, young girls, and all of us, are accounted by God as children of Abram. He is the father of the faithful. Abraham is the father of the faithful. Look in verse 7 of the same chapter of Galatians, chapter 3. It says, therefore, we know that only those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham. But I'm really sorry, verse 7, verse 6. It says, but as the Abram believed God, it was accounted to him for righteousness, and therefore, know that only those who are of faith are the sons of Abraham. So, only those that are of faith, because Abraham believed and trusted God, and only those that believe and trust God, trust Christ, are of faith, are the children of Abraham. He is the father of the faithful. Now, regrettably, today, young people, churches misuse the word, faith. You see, they say, oh well, all you need is faith, and you are saved. But what was he talking about that Abraham believed God and was accounted to him as righteousness? What did he believe?

Again, let's go to the story in Genesis, chapter 12, verse 1. In Genesis 12, verse 1. So, let's go back to the beginning. Genesis 12, verse 1. Now the Lord had said to Abram, get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I'll show you. And then he has the promises. So, Abram had to leave his society and go and live somewhere as a program for years and years and years. You know the story. And you may say, what's that got to do with me? Now, in first place, remember, he never gave you any excuses. He never said, oh, well, I can't go because... But think about it. What has it got to do with you and me and I? The principle is the following young people. Are you prepared to leave this society, this world? Are you prepared to walk away from what your peers and others put pressure on you to go the way of the world? Are you prepared to be different like God wants you to be?

Unfortunately, in this world, there's a lot of untruth. And it's hard for you as young people to stand and say to others, no, because I'm not going to do that or don't say that in front of me because I don't believe in that. It's hard. So the application to you and I is, are we prepared to leave the world and to be separate? You see, the story of Abraham has a lot of meaning to us if we look at the principle. Or maybe the specifics are different, but look at the principle. The principle is, are we prepared to leave the world and live in this society as pilgrims?

Oh, do we do and get involved in the society? Or are we pilgrims? A little bit lighter in verse 4, it says, so Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him. You see, he believed God, he trusted God, and he said, leave the world, and he left, not knowing where he was going to go. That is faith. And because of that, it was imputed to him as righteousness.

Do we leave the world? Do we leave this filthy, dirty society and stand up and say, no, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to accept those dirty beliefs because that is not in the Bible, that is not godly, I'm not going to do that. You do that. You stand up for that. And then God says it will be imputed to you because God does not distinguish, does not show partiality, is the sign yesterday, today, and forever, and like he did to Abraham, he will do it to you, and you will impute that action as righteousness. So, young people understand, Satan is subtle. What do you mean by subtle? He's sneaky. He comes in with just a tiny little thing that is so innocent. Oh, it's okay, just accept that. And then he comes in with another little deviation. And then he comes in with another little deviation. Beware, because that's how he traps you.

And look now in Genesis chapter 13, a little lighter, because we're talking about what is the promise. And look at chapter 13 verse 15. What is the promise that he gave to Abraham? Look at verse 15. For all the land which you'll see, I'll give it to you and your descendants forever. What is the promise? Land, planet earth, in other words. Not the moon, not the sky, not going to heaven, but earth. Earth, what you see. So what is the promise? Land. For how long? Forever. Eternity.

Now, the land originally was seen as a certain amount of land, but God then, over the years, expanded it, and you'll keep expanding it.

And so, what is the inheritance? The inheritance is the earth. And for how long? For how long? For eternity. So what is the promise that God gave to Abraham? And what is the promise that God is giving to you, young people, in the church? You will inherit the earth forever.

Not heaven, the earth forever. Read a little later in Genesis 22. In Genesis 22, it says then, it came to pass after a little while that God tested, in other words, putting a test. It's not tempted, but it's tested. What's the difference between testing and tempting? When you do a test, like you do an exam and you do a test, the intent is to show or to prove that you've learned enough so you can move forward to the next year, to the next grade.

A test is not to trap you and to cause you to fail. No, the test is to help you so that, yeah, you qualified, you made it, you can move on. So God wanted to see if Abraham was ready for it. And he was. He passed the test. You know the test. He had to offer his son Isaac, while obviously, them have to, but God was just testing him, proving him. He said, any different than you and I today? You go to school, you've got peers that put little tests on you.

Does that happen? Of course it does. Does God allow it? Yes, he does. And he did allow it to Abraham. Why? To see where you stand. Are they going to be tests? Yes. Why? So that you pass the grade so that he can give you more. And if you fail this test, maybe you'll laugh it again and again until you pass. And then you have a bigger test. So you pass the test on grade four, then you got a test on grade five, and then you got the test on grade six. And you know the test on grade six is a bit more complicated than the test on grade four, for instance. But every time you pass the test, you make the grade, and you can move on to ultimately the greater reward that God has for you.

Continue reading in verse 18. In verse 18 of Genesis 22, we see then that he passed the test, and because he passed the test, he got the certificate of completion, right? You pass the test, you got a certificate of completion. What is the certificate of completion that God gave to Abraham? The certificate said, in your seed, that's Christ through Christ, all nations of the earth will be blessed. Why? Because you passed the test, because you obeyed me.

Young people, you go to school. Are you going to obey God? Or are you going to just obey God and say something you shouldn't say? Or do something you shouldn't do? Or look at something you shouldn't look? Are you going to obey God? Maybe nobody sees you, but God sees. How are we doing? What certificate are you getting? Abraham, God, the best certificate you could have, says, through because you obeyed, because you passed the test, you will have this blessing, that through you and your seed, which is Christ, all nations will be blessed. The whole of your mankind will be blessed, provided, obviously, they also pass the same test. Like you and I, we have to pass the same test.

You see, so Yah is a certificate which is unconditional. There's no terms and conditions, says, well, no, you've already got it. It's unconditional.

And what it is?

The nations of the earth. It's on earth. It's not in heaven. It's on earth. So, it's not, oh, well, when you die, you go to heaven. No, the reward is earth.

Brethren, your inheritance, young people, your inheritance is earth.

Ah! But when people die, don't they go to heaven?

Look with me to John chapter 3 verse 13. John chapter 3 verse 13. John chapter 3 verse 13. No one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, and those are Christ's own words, which means Abraham, when Christ spoke, and today is still the case, Abraham had not, and today has not yet gone to heaven. And those are Christ's own words. And if, therefore, you're saying that Abraham is in heaven because he's dead, then you're calling Christ a liar. So, who is speaking the truth?

And then it continues, then it continues, that is, no one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that is the Son, which we know now is in heaven. Christ is in heaven. So nobody has ascended to heaven. So, Abraham didn't go to heaven. Moses didn't go to heaven.

And people that have died that we know have not gone to heaven because they're dead. Because the reward is not heaven, the reward is earth. So, Abraham never got his promise? Looking at Acts 7, Acts 7, verse 2-5, Acts 7, verse 2-5. And then he said, this is quoting, then the high priest said, are these things so? And he said that he's Stephen, that was being questioned, yeah, one of the disciples. Brethren and fathers, listen, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Aaron and he said to him, get out of your country and from your relatives and come to a land that I'll show you. Okay, we showed that. Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Aaron and from there when his father was dead he moved him to his land in which he now dwell. And God gave him no inheritance. God gave Abraham no inheritance in the land, but he promised in the land, but he had no inheritance. But even when Abraham had no child, he promised to give to him for a possession and to his descendants of the reed, but Abraham never received it. He was a sojourner. He was a pilgrim. He never received it.

What does sojourner reminding you of?

What does being a pilgrim reminding you of? Young people, what does that remind you? Do you know what reminds you? Living in temporary dwellings. Oh, what does that remind you? Of the feast. Do you look forward to the feast? Of course we do. But the feast, you live in temporary dwellings. Yes, you look towards a time of better things, but in the feast you live in a temporary abode. Some, in some conditions, they can only afford to be, for instance, in a tent. Others can be in a hotel. Others in a slightly better hotel. Whatever. But it still is a temporary place. Our life on this earth is a temporary place today. But we will have a life in this earth which will be permanent, eternal. But this life is only temporary.

You see, Abraham never received the inheritance. Now there's a wonderful chapter about faith in the Bible. Young people, do you know what chapter it is? Start turning to it, because we're going to go there. Right? Yes, it is in the New Testament. It is the book of Hebrews. Okay, what chapter do you think it is? It's Hebrews chapter 11. It's the chapter of faith. So let's go there. Hebrews chapter 11. And it talks about different people that were faithful in Hebrews 11. All the way from Abel. And talks about Enoch. And then talks about Noah. And then talks about Abraham. And look when he's talking about Abraham in verse 8. He says, by faith Abraham obeyed. When he was called to go out of the place, we would receive his... go out to the place which he would receive his inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going. And by the way, we just heard he never received his inheritance. He died without receiving it. There's always a bulgram there. A foreigner.

You know, it's like we call in this country an alien. You know, all is an alien. A foreigner is not a citizen yet. We are aliens in this temporary world. It's not our world.

We are pilgrims. We are young temporarily. We can't change this world. You can try.

But you'll soon realize that you'll fail miserably. So, and continue reading, yeah, in Hebrews 11, verse 9, by faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country. Brethren, that's what we are. We're living in this land of promise. But you know, it's like as living in a foreign country. Particularly nowadays, you feel like it's a foreign country. Brethren, this is just a temporary dwelling. Young people, this is just a temporary dwelling. And it is this dwelling in tents, dwelling in tabernacles, dwelling in a temporary dwelling, in a temporary abode, with Isaac and Jacob. The hairs were a theme of the same promise. But he never received it, because he waited, verse 10, for the city which has foundations, which building and maker is God, he waited for the ultimate, the ultimate final real promise, fulfillment of the promise. The ultimate real final fulfillment of that promise is when the Father himself will come down to earth in the new heaven and new earth. That, Abraham, without having Revelation chapter 21, you already looked for the new Jerusalem.

And you, young people, that is our inheritance, that is our hope, and that's why we're going to be different. We're going to come out of this world, like Abraham had to get out of his world.

Look at verse 13. Look at verse 13. These all died in faith. So who are these? Abel and Enoch and Noah. They did not go to heaven. They died in faith, and they did not receive the promises. But having seen them afar off, we're assured of them. They never doubted. And you saw, as we heard in the sermon that there's a lot of fears, a lot of things going on, but you know God's got a plan, and you and I have to have that faith, that belief, that he will work it out. We just have to walk away from this world. We just have to walk away from the things of this world, young people. And he says, and confess that there were strangers and pilgrims on the earth for that time. And you and I today have to come to a point and confess that we are strangers and pilgrims in this country. This is not our country today anymore. Unfortunately not.

Our leaders have left God, wherever they are.

And God has allowed it. He's allowing it.

But you'll intervene, and you and I have to have faith, because we are now strangers and pilgrims on the earth. You see, once again, our inheritance is the earth, not heaven. At the end of this chapter, in verse 39, it says, and all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.

Why? Why? God having provided something better for us, for you young people, for you. We're waiting for you. It's you are now the generation that this is going to happen. You are going to be the leaders of the world tomorrow. You're going to have the opportunity of being those that will show others, your children and grandchildren, how to live the right way. It is your time! All these years it's been waiting for you.

Don't give it up. Don't give it up.

You've got it on a platter. God wants to give it to you, young people. So, so that day, that's Abraham and Moses and those would not be made perfect, would not be made spirit beings ruling on earth, apart from us. Wow! This is not the time to give up. This is the time to stick to it. You see, Satan is the god of this world. You can read that in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 4. And as we heard in the sermon, our inerrant is what we got to seek. We seek the kingdom of God. How inerrant is the kingdom of God? Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Yes.

But we know that for us to inherit that kingdom of God, we have to first be changed to spirit beings. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. And we're going to read in verse 50. 5-0. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 50 says, Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. You and I now are flesh and blood. And it says, at the last trump, in verse 52, the trump will sound at the last trump, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption. In other words, we need to then be changed from physical to spirit, and we will then rule on earth.

You see, there will be a resurrection which is symbolized by trumpets, because it is at that last trump symbolized by trumpets. So, Abraham will resurrect, Moses will resurrect, and all the true disciples of Jesus will resurrect and receive the inheritance. Because then, Christ will come to rule, and no more Satan, and then it will be our world. Christ ruling, and we ruling on the ring. You see, in verse 20, 1 Corinthians 15, verse 20, but now Christ is risen from the dead. Yes, Christ has rose, and has become the first fruits of those who fall asleep. Yes, he's the first one that rose. The others are sleeping. So, he's the first fruits. But since, for since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. Now, what do you mean by man? Here it was, because in Adam, you read that in verse 22, in Adam all die. Dead, dead. In Adam all die. In Christ all will be made alive.

You see, young people, we have to be changed.

Again, on the sermonette, it was mentioned, but now I'm going to turn to Ecclesiastes 12, verse 1. Ecclesiastes 12, verse 1.

Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes 12, verse 1.

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth. Young people, remember now God before the difficult days come. Or you see, some older people around you, here in church, like me and others, but some of us are struggling with health. And some of us hide it. You don't know what some of the old people are suffering. They come here, you talk to them, they smile, they look good. You don't know sometimes how much pain that person that you're talking to, that you're smiling to, is actually going through. Maybe he or she may be struggling just to walk and to come to church.

And now you as the young people, just walking is easy. I mean, what do you mean? I just have to walk, jump, I jump, oh, I want to go in the pool and jump in the pool. I'll do jumping jacks or whatever it is, and I run around, I do it in the pool. Hey, what is the problem? Do it! Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before you're going to get to that age where every little bone in the back and your neck and the thumb, shoulder, and then your hip and then your knee and then your liver and then your stomach and then you, like one of the brethren in the eyes, you're probably in his foot and others.

Remember God before those days are going to come to you because they're going to come. I mean, we all, we all that, we're all young, and you know what we say? Youth is wasted in the youth. Well, what I mean is we wish we had taken better care of our bodies when we're younger. So that we could live a little longer in this pain. You see, because it's then, he says, as the year and the years draw near, when you say, I have no pleasure in them, what pleasure is it?

I ask you young people that when you go to bed, you soar. When you're in bed at night, you can't sleep because you're in pain. When you get up and you walk around during the day, you're in pain, and you kind of, you have no pleasure in them. So young people, appreciate these days you have, but remember, you'll be judged in the days that you have youth. You see, the day will come, you read in verse 7, in verse 7, that we're all gonna die, and it says, dust will return to the earth as it was.

That's when you die. Dust will return to the earth as it was, and the Spirit will return to God who gave it. Oh, you go to heaven! No! Because that's not a soul, it's a Spirit. And I've explained to you before, there's a Spirit of man in man, and when that Spirit of man in man, a person dies, it's basically like a recording, it's like a backup of your disk drive, and it just saves all your stuff about you, who you are, who you aren't.

It's just a backup. God takes the backup and stores it somewhere in these clouds, clouds of storage, so that when He resurrects you with a new body, He puts that back into the new body, and voila! It acts like the old computer, quote-unquote, just a lot faster and a lot better.

The analogy, I know it's an analogy, but it brings you to point to Spirit is not a soul. The Spirit is just something that makes your brain able to be a brain, otherwise, in other words, to be a mind, to be a human mind, to think like a human. And it holds all your personality and your experiences and your attributes and all your settings. You know, think about the settings that you have. They're all stored up there. And when you resurrect it, God gives it back to you.

You see, in Ecclesiastes chapter 9, verse 3 to 5, Ecclesiastes chapter 9, verse 3 to 5, it says, you know, there's the evil. Everything happens to all. In other words, we're all gonna die. We're all gonna die. It says, then verse 4, for to him, we're showing to all the living day's help, but for a living dog is better than a dead lion. I mean, of course, a lion is better than a dog, right? But a living dog is better than a dead lion because a dead lion is useless.

In other words, when you're dead, you're dead. And it says in verse 5, for the living now, they're gonna die. But the dead know nothing. It was, they're not in heaven. They're dead. They're dead until they're resurrected. So, Abraham is dead. Moses is dead. And all the other human beings that have lived, they're dead. And they're waiting for a resurrection. When Christ comes, that resurrection will happen. We read in Zechariah that he'll come to earth, and he'll rule on earth, and you and I will rule within.

Look at a lovely psalm that quite often is not looked in this context, which is Psalm 37. Look at Psalm 37. So, just a few pages back from where you are, Psalm 37. Psalm 37 verse 9. For evil doers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit...what? Stare, the earth. Will inherit? Your inheritance is the earth. Look at verse 22. For those blessed by him shall inherit the earth.

Our inheritance is the earth, and it's forever. Look at verse 29. The righteous shall inherit the land. Where is the land? On earth. And well in it forever. As a spirit being, you'll dwell in it forever. That is our inheritance. Healthy, a brand new spanking, you know, latest model body. Super, super duper fresh, brand new model, spiritual model body that will never have pain. Will never have pain. Will never get hurt. Wow!

That's the promise for you and I. So what must we do? What must we do, young people? Matthew 19 verse 17. Matthew 19 verse 17. This is Christ speaking, and he says... He says to people who were asking this question, Why do you call me good? No one is good, but one. That is God. But if you want to enter into life, that is eternal life. That is this life. That is this promise that we have. What do you need to do? Keep the commandments. Keep the commandments.

When we were reading a moment ago in Ecclesiastes 12, it says, let's go back to it, right at the end of Ecclesiastes 12. Ecclesiastes 12. Solomon says, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and have respect for God, and keep His commandments. For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing that you are hiding, whether good or bad. For a blessing, God, as for you young people, He wants to bless you. And all the secret things you've done that are good, He'll bring them up and He'll reward you. He wants you there. Don't give up. He's got a great promise for you. That is your emeritus.