It’s passing away because Christ’s triumph is imminent.
Christ is going to defeat this whole deal.
And one of the ways He’s defeating it
is through His children
that He came to save, in their minds.
One of the ways this thing is being defeated
is by Him working through His Spirit in the minds,
bringing our mind more into the conformity
of the mind of Christ so that these mindsets are broken.
When He makes all things new
that’s what He’s doing He’s doing in His people.
He’s making the mindsets new.
This is so important because so often we get hung up
on the externals.
Its the heart of the matter.
Its the mindset.
People act and live and do according to their mindsets.
So what are some of these mindsets of the world.
I give you one.
One of the mindsets of the world
is that life here is forever.
Thats the way they think.
I mean...
You know what...
I can remember walking into my house
when I ….
Well actually I wasn’t living there at the time
Ruby and I were visiting.
I walk in to my step-dads...
Well I can just remember being there in the living room.
My step-dad had been told that he had liver cancer
and he had 3 months to live.
I can remember looking at him
and there he is reading the evening paper.
With the t.v. on.
I’m looking at my dad reading the newspaper.
He’s been given 3 months to live! He’s reading the paper!
The mindset of this world...
Oh if you ask the people of this world;
“Are you gonna die?”
Well factually they know.
Factually they’ll tell you;
“Yeah I’m gonna die”
But you know there’s a mindset.
Why was it when I was lost
I would ride my motorcycle like a mad man
just barely on the edge of death.
Because I thought I was immortal.
I really did. I did not think I was going to die.
That’s how the world is.
My dad sitting there even though he’s been told he’s a dead man.
He doesn’t really believe he’s gonna die that night or tomorrow.
He believes he’s got time.
That’s the mindset of the world.
They don’t want to think about eternity.
They don’t want to think about the fact that life comes to end.
But what do we find when we come to the scriptures?
What is the mindset God would have us to have?
(James 4:14) You are but a vapor.
You are a little mist that is here.
Your like these flowers, today they’re there tomorrow they are thrown away.
You know what the Psalmist did
(Psalm 90:12) Teach us to number are days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 39:4 Oh Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days let me know how fleeting I am.
Folks, you know what that mindset does.
The mindset of the world.
Listen, Ruby and I just went off to St. Louis.
We went over there and we stayed in a motel for 4 days.
Hotel.
My family was telling me the difference between hotel motel.
Oh yeah hotel...
We went in...
Look, we were in that room for 4 nights.
If we’d would’ve gone in there the first night
we would’ve busted out paint,
we start to painting the walls,
putting new wall paper up,
buy a new home entertainment system,
put new carpet in.
Were just decking it out.
Leiter’s come down there and say; “What are you guys doing?”
“Well you know, were staying here...
we want it to be comfortable.”
Buy a new refrigerator, buy a new posturepedic mattress. Were puttin it all.
They’d think you guys are crazy. Your only here for 4 nights.
So you would think someone is crazy if they did that.
But step back in light of eternity
and look what your life here is.
It’s nothing!
...We read in the scripture’s about the ages to come.
You tell me,
in all the million of ages to come.
What is 70 years? What is 80 years?
It’s like a stay in a motel.
And you watch the way people groom their yards.
The way people buff their cars.
The way people decorate their houses.
They have a mindset that it is forever.
May God teach us to number our days.
Life is short brethren!
You don’t want to go investing in this world!
It’s passing away.