Life Unto the Age

This series is about reconnecting to the plotlines of God’s story for us. We will look at stories, events, and ideas that all make up the story of God and His good plan for our lives. We will be partnering with the Tim Mackey and Jon Collins from the Bible Project to help bring these concepts and stories closer for our understanding.So today we are going to start with an overview look of the plotline of Eternal Life. It's a concept most of us have always combined with life after death or Heaven. But really, it is something we can be a part of right now. Being aware that we live in an age is so important. An age is a period of time with some common attributes that remains constant or more so, that we can live in two overlapping ages.I think we all are aware of the age of humankind. History tells us the stories of our activity on the planet, but we all experience smaller expressions of this idea of ‘common attributes’ in our lifetime. Just think about, we have seen a lot of different ‘age’ fashions. 1950’s through today. All kinds of trends and fashions, for a short time, emerge and help define that time. We are all born into this age of mankind and likewise experience the ‘common attributes’. Challenges, hopes, cultural values, pain, loss. But it is so important to see and be aware of the contrast between the age of mankind and the eternal life-age that God invites us to.The story of Adam and Eve wanting an Age that is defined by them is so alive today. But God is inviting us to so much more. Jesus says it this way in John 10:7-10:“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”Scripture later reiterates this in 1 John 2:17: "And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever."See, we are invited to live in an age, that overlaps this world, but goes on in perfect love, truth, and goodness and it's something that we can all too easily forget. We get bogged down, we fail to see anything beyond our current circumstances, we live afraid and if we're honest, probably all want to return to some other age.Scripture speaks to this when Jesus says in Matthew 6:“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”The challenge for us is that we need to realize that Jesus is greater than the Age we live in. As Paul states in Ephesians 1:18-21:“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”But then we must realize that we are now a part of a new age, Life unto the Age. We still experience the age events of mortality, but we are ‘seated’ in the Eternal age of God, which is a HUGE concept for us to understand. It will change how we look at events around us and it should affect how we live now. For when we see that we are part of something that is ‘forever good’, it changes how we live in a place that is ‘frequently bad’.See, eternal life is not so much a measure of time but a statement of quality. We don’t live to please God to get it, we live to please God because we have been given it!. So, are you a part of ‘Life Unto the Age’? Are you stuck with your head down? Are you trying to live this age on your terms? Seizing life for yourself, living only for this age. Are you trying to go back to a past age? Or are you living as if the kingdom of Heaven is right here and now?Thanks for joining us today! For more information and resources, visit www.crosstownechurch.com or download our free app! Search "Crosstowne" in your app store.