More Than A Place

GETTING STARTED

I sat in my apartment waiting for my ride to the stadium. My time was done as a Baylor football walk-on, and I knew it. By that point in spring practice, my teammates had to talk me into showing up. Coach Teaff had guaranteed me the opportunity to prove myself, and he was true to his word. I had made the team in the fall and was allowed all the benefits that come with that privilege. But just being on the team was not enough for me. I strove for a starting position and to win games. I had lost my motivation to play.

  • When have you been the most motivated to achieve the tasks set before you?

READ THE WORD: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-10 (ESV)

5:1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

DIGGING DEEPER

(Today’s questions focus on verses 6-10.)

  1. What was the result of Paul and Timothy’s knowledge of their guaranteed future (vs. 6)?
  2. In verse 8, what was their present desire?
  3. With heaven guaranteed, why were they always motivated to please the Lord (vss. 9-10)?
  4. What current deeds of yours do you think Jesus would evaluate as good? As “evil” or worthless (vs. 10)?
  5. In what ways will you “make it [your] aim to please him” today?

RESPOND TO GOD

A theologian once said, “Heaven was not simply a destination for Paul: it was a motivation.”[1] It inspired him to continuously live courageously, trusting what God had in store. Paul understood that his choices in this life would determine the extent of his reward when he finally arrived in heaven. For believers in Christ, heaven is a prize to live for, not just a place to die for. While the gospel guarantees our eternity, the reward we receive upon entering the new world depends on how we live now in this one.

  • Ask the Lord to affirm what currently motivates you to live for him now.
  • Thank him for the gift of living with him for eternity.

[1] Weirsbe, Warren, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament, p645.

NOW: Heaven is more than a destination; it is a motivation to live this life with Jesus.

ALWAYS: A guaranteed life with the one true God results in a consistent, courageous motivation to please him.

THEN: The result of a guaranteed future, lived by faith away from the Jesus, aware of their coming evaluation by him, was a consistent courageous motivation to please him.

  1. The result of a guaranteed future, living by faith, though absent from Jesus, was to be continually and completely courageous. (6-7)
    1. The ability that they were continuously complete in was courage.
    2. Their comprehension about living in the present was that they were absent from Jesus. (6)
    3. The manner in which they lived without seeing was by faith. (7)
  2. The result of living by faith, with complete courage and not in the present, was to be eternally with Jesus. (8)
    1. The ability they were complete in was courage.
    2. Their preference, instead of being in the present, was to be eternally with Jesus.
  3. The result of a guaranteed future, whether living or facing death, was a motivation to please Christ. (9)
    1. Their circumstance was impending life or dead.
    2. The motivation was to please Christ.
  4. The reason for pleasing Christ, resulting in the paying back from good or worthless choices, was that he would evaluate them. (10)
    1. The reason for pleasing Christ was that he would evaluate them.
    2. The result of being evaluated by Christ, on the basis of good or worthless choices, was that each one might be paid back.

One commentator said “Heaven was not simply a destination for Paul: it was a motivation.”[2]

[2] Weirsbe, Warren, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament, p645.