The question “are we there yet?” is familiar to anyone who has travelled with an impatient child, and to anyone who, worn out by life, is waiting for a moment of rest. This sermon reads that longing as the eternity God has set in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3), and shows that Jesus reduces eternal life to a relationship that begins today (John 17). It closes with five glimpses of eternity drawn from 1 Thessalonians, gratitude, faith, love, hope and grace. Listen, and see how near the destination really is.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Paul opens his letter to the Thessalonians with thanksgiving and closes it with a blessing of grace (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 5:28). What might these words have meant to young, persecuted believers whom Paul had to leave so quickly?
- 1 Thessalonians 1:3 speaks of the work of faith, the labor of love and the endurance of hope. How is faith, love and hope described as work, labor and endurance different from how we usually think of them?
- The sermon recalls the Teacher's words in Ecclesiastes that God has set eternity in the human heart. In what situations do you most strongly feel the longing that life should be different than it is?
- Jesus prayed: this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God. What changes in your thinking when you see eternal life as a relationship with God that begins right now?
- Which of the five glimpses of eternity (gratitude, faith, love, hope, grace) is hardest for you, and why?
- Who could you show gratitude or grace to this week, especially where you would rather demand justice, and how will you do it in practice?
