You Are An Heir, So Do Your Best

Alright, what a privilege to have a church, to have the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, before I read my text, I want to start with a question. A question for you. And I want you to think about this question. Think about it, because I'm going to ask to have a show of hands in regards to this question. So I want you to think carefully. Carefully. Does anyone here know for certain that someone has listed you as an heir on their will? Someone has designated a share of their estate specifically to you and told you about this arrangement. They've made you aware of it. And you will for certain receive this inheritance. That's my question. So if that applies to you, I want you to raise your hand. I want you to raise your hand. I see some of you not raising your hand. Every Christian here should have raised their hand. Every Christian here should have raised their hand. And I think the reason you did not is that we often think primarily, to our shame, on the physical realm. You assumed my question dealt with the physical realm, which, let me remind you, the physical realm is second in importance to the number one important realm, and that is that which is spiritual. That which is spiritual. So why assume, why think primarily in the physical? The spiritual realm is just as real, and it is far more certain. And we need to first be thinking about that realm and not that which is physical. Now, another thing. I have an envelope here. It says something on it. It says important on it. Now, this envelope, it's sealed shut. What are its contents? How do you find out the contents? You've got to open it up. You've got to open this up. This might be junk mail. Junk mail, they tend to make it look interesting on the front, so you open it up or they'll have a custom handwriting. This may be a bill. I might have some bill, some student debt, some loan that I have to pay off that I don't know about. This may contain a note from a family member about some tragedy. And it will cause me to cry tears when I read it. Or this may contain some news that gives me great hope. Maybe a note from a missionary about mass conversion happening on the field. Or maybe it contains information about a massive fortune I have inherited, or that I will upon the death of some relative. So this might affect me in a very strong way, or it won't. Now, I'm going to open this later, but for now, I'm going to put this right here. The only way I'll know is by opening it and reading its contents. Now, whatever is in there, unless it is loaded with Scripture, its promises are going to be very uncertain compared to what we find when we open this book. When we open the Word of God. And I want you to turn to Titus 3. When we go to God's letter from Him and rightly interpret it, we have something that is truth. We have a sure and certain Word. And so this morning, or this afternoon, I want to speak to you. The name of my message is this. You are an heir, so do your best. You are an heir, and in view of that, do your best. And you see this language of do your best in verses 12 and 13 of Titus 3. When I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to Me at Nicopolis, for I've decided to spend the winter there. Verse 13, do your best to speed Zenos the lawyer in Apollos on their way. See that they lack nothing, and let our people learn to devote or to do their best to do good works so as to help the cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. Let's pray. Father, thank You again. It's an absolute miracle to be here today in our right minds and actually partake of an inheritance, Lord, which the majority of humanity is totally going to miss out on. Lord, You've been so good, so kind to us. We just praise You. Lord, what can we say? You've done more than we can even describe in words. The books in the world could not contain all of Your glories. Lord, would You help me, a weak vessel, to some way drive this home, Lord, that it would do its intended purpose in these precious saints here that You bought with the blood of Your Son. I pray this in Christ's name, Amen. Now let's read in Titus. I pointed out where I had the phrase do your best, but let's start in Titus 3. Paul says this, For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures. Passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us. Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace, and this is where you have the part of us being an heir, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This saying, the saying, meaning v. 4-7 which is one sentence in the Greek, this whole saying is trustworthy. And I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These sayings are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law. For they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division after warning them once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him knowing that such a person is warped and sinful, he is self-condemned. That's the reading of God's Word and we already looked at v. 12 and 13. And so in v. 7, He talks about us being heirs. And then after that, He's calling us to do our best. To do our best. Do your best. What does He say in v. 13? To speed Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their way. That's very practical. These two people have come to the city and they're carrying the very letter that Paul had sent with them and Paul is going to be going somewhere to spend the winter and he's wanting Titus to join him. And he's saying put all the effort you can into speeding those people on their way and make sure they lack nothing in this trip. It's a very practical work. It's just simple hospitality, serving, making sure they've got enough stuff for the trip. And Paul goes on to say in v. 14, to help cases of urgent need. Paul is thinking about there are some needs that are urgent. They're more important than others. And Paul is thinking about speeding someone on the way. He didn't say get them there slowly, get them there in a month, but he said speed them on the way. Meaning there's a window of opportunity before the winter hits and it's too late for them to get here. So get them before there. Get them sooner. Or make sure they have enough because what if they get too cold on the way and they die? And it's because you weren't willing to give them your fourth jacket that was laying around in your winter clothes closet. Paul's wanting these believers to recognize there's an urgent need here and they need to be doing their best. Not half-hearted. Not sluggardly. They need to be going all out with this opportunity that's before them which is very practical, just sending someone on his way. Right? Very simple. He says in v. 14 to Titus, he wants our people, I could say us as a church, he wants us to learn. So Philippians 4, 6, learn to be content. Here we have learn to devote themselves to good works. It's something we have to learn. We have to learn how to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. Throughout this letter, Paul is constantly talking about works. He wants us working. He wants us doing. And he keeps bringing this up again and again and again. Go to Titus 1. Look at v. 16. He says there at the end, he doesn't want us to be unfit for any good work. Look at 2.7. He says to Titus in 2.7. He's speaking directly to Titus. He says, show yourselves in all respects to be a model of good works. So he wants Titus who's there to be a model, a life of good works to this church at Crete where he's remaining in order to appoint elders. You go on. V. 14, Titus 2. Talking about what Christ has done. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works. He keeps bringing this up. Look at 3.1. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. He's saying be ready. If there's urgent needs, you've got to be ready. To do good. To serve. Then he goes to v. 4. He saved us not because of works done by us. Then he goes into v. 8. Those who believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. And then v. 14. Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help the cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. Do you see how much he's emphasizing doing good and good works? Throughout this entire letter. And even as you look at some of the specifics in each chapter, in chapter 2, he's talking about what good works even a woman could do in order that the Word of God not be reviled. He's talking about Titus and how he could serve in order to honor the Lord. He talks about a worker at work in v. 9 of chapter 2. He talks about not being argumentative, but being well-pleasing, showing all good faith. Why? So that in everything, they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. Paul wants Titus to see a church that is by their life reflecting the doctrine they believe and it being very clear to the people, these people believe these truths. It's created this change in them. They're zealous for good works. And again, the works are practical, right? How you act at work. How the woman is loving her husband and children. Being kind. Those are all good deeds. Or sending people on a trip. Not lacking anything. Titus 3:13 Paul's not thinking about getting martyred. These are very simple, practical things that he wants them to be doing. And he wants them to be doing their best. He wants them putting every effort into it. Not half-hearted. Not sluggardly. Not procrastinating. He wants you doing your best. Why? How? Why? What's the motivation that Paul gives here that's going to cause these people to do these good works? Because I could stand here and exhort you to do good works. Is that really going to work at the end of the day? Am I exhorting you to do good works going to cause you to leave this building and go all out for Christ just because I beat you on the head with an exhortation that you need to do good and you need to bear fruit? Is that going to really be the catalyst to send you out there being zealous for the Lord? I would say it would not be. It would not be the thing. And that's not what Paul gives here. As in other places in the New Testament, he gives the truth of you and I being an heir. He gives that as a motivation for us to do our best. And if you miss the motivation, you're going to miss out. You're going to greatly miss out. You're going to strive in your own power. You're going to put all sorts of effort. You're going to hear, I've got to do my best and I've got to put all my effort into this. What's driving that? What's motivating you in that? So notice Paul's logic here. Look at 3.4. Paul says, he talks about the goodness, the love and kindness of God, what truths to think about our Lord. Then he talks about this. He saved us not because of works. You're telling people who you want to do a lot of good works that you're not saved because of your works. But, he saved us according to His own mercy. By the washing of regeneration. So he's talking about the mercy of the regenerating power of the Spirit, the renewal of the Spirit. We've been brought from death to life. Then verse 6, he talks about how that Spirit's been poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that being justified, being legally declared righteous by His grace, by His mercy, by the record of Christ and not your own merit, but the works of Christ, he says we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. And then look at v. 8. We're looking at Paul's logic. He says here, the saying is trustworthy. What saying? V. 4-7 All of those truths in v. 4-7, justification, regeneration, and then it all leading up to this being justified we might become heirs. You could say that's the final step at the top of the staircase. All of that leading up to there. And then look what Paul says. The saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, meaning these doctrines, these truths about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What happens if you insist on the Gospel? What happens if you insist on being an heir with Christ in this hope of eternal life? If I insist to you that you are an heir, Paul says this, you do this so that those who have believed in God, what are they going to do? Be careful to devote themselves to good works. So Paul's going to have a zealous church at Crete, but how's he going to get it? How's he going to get it? It's going to be by a Gospel-driven obedience as he preaches the truth to them as Titus does via Paul who's writing this letter to him. He's going to be preaching the truth and that will be what leads them to be devoted to good works. You see Paul's logic? This is huge. We've got to be able to think like that in our own life. What is motivating me to go and to do my best and put all my effort? Is it the fact that you are an heir with Christ? Is it the fact that He saved you not because of works? Is it the fact that God is good and kind? Those should be our motivating factors behind the good we do. These doctrines actually lead to a specific conduct. That's why he says adorn yourself with the conduct that's according to the doctrine. Paul believes good doctrine produces a certain type of conduct. Doctrine matters. What you believe about God, what you believe about your salvation, it really matters. And it absolutely affects how you live. They go hand in hand. We see this also in Colossians. You don't have to turn there, but Colossians 3. He says, whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord. You're at a job. You're not ultimately working for that boss. You're working heartily for the Lord, not for men. With what knowledge are you working heartily for the Lord? Paul says knowing that from the Lord, you will receive an inheritance as your reward. So, Paul's saying work heartily with what thing in your sight? The inheritance that you inherit. He's saying that's right before you. That's actually motivating you in your zeal for God is the fact of this incredible reality that you are a co-heir with Jesus Christ. And Paul's using that multiple points to encourage people to be the most zealous in their good works. He's not just exhorting you to do good works. He's giving you the truth and trusting the good works are going to be a by-product of that. This good doctrine will cause these people to do these things. Now, he gives exhortations after, in v. 12-13, after he's given all of this glorious truth. Now, this is in contrast, right? This is in contrast to insisting on the wrong stuff. If you insist on the truth, that's what that produces. But v. 9, Titus 3:9, he says to avoid foolish controversies and dissensions and quarrels about the law, for what do they do? What do they produce? For they are unprofitable and worthless. He's contrasting that with insisting on the truth, which is excellent and profitable. So the truth is going to bring out a profitable conduct from the Christian. But people being distracted with all sorts of non-essential debates and things that don't ultimately matter that much, their lives are not going to be ones marked by being zealous for good works. Because those topics don't produce that in their soul. It does not drive them to that. But Paul says, you know what? What's profitable? Speaking about the love of God for you. You talk about the love of God for you, the sinner in Christ. That will turn you around to go and serve the One whom you love so much. Thinking about His mercy towards you affects how you live your day around that lost co-worker who you were once like. He reminds them in 3.3, he says, we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray. I mean, boy, when you remember where you were at, and then you remember the goodness and the kindness of God and how He plucked you out of that miry clay and saved you, it all the more makes you want to serve Him out of love for Him. Right? Not out of some strong exhortation necessarily, but out of a strong message about His love. That then produces a life being zealous for good works. So, don't miss that Paul's strong statement about doing your best, putting all of your effort into being zealous for good works that he gives time and time again throughout this letter. There's something pushing that and that's the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the specific thing I'm wanting to look at right now is that truth after regeneration and after justification, he says we've been justified to be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. I'm wanting to think about that truth of you and I being an heir, because as we do, it should produce something in you to where you want to all the more zealously serve this One who's given you such an incredible privilege. It should produce that. So I'm actually trying to get you guys to do more good works. But I'm not telling you to do it. I'm just going to tell you about the Lord and His good work for you. And then it'll just come natural. Do you still need to exhort? Yeah, he still gives an exhortation. And He still says do your best. We need both. But we need both in a balanced way. But if you miss this driving force, you're going to be no better than the zealous Pharisee who's willing to travel land and sea where you'll be like the Jehovah's Witness person who's willing to go to every door in the Eastside neighborhood and knock on that door, but what's the motivating factor? Is it God's goodness towards them? No, it's them trying to earn God's favor and make a way into heaven. And Paul just said here in 3.5, He saved us not because of works. You're calling people to be so zealous for good works, and yet you're telling them at the same time they're not saved by the good works. Right, because that frees you. You're not working to save yourself. You're working because He has saved you and He has been good towards you. So, Paul believes the truth and knowledge directly will affect your obedience. Look at that truth he says in v. 6. The Holy Spirit He has poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Boy, you just think about that truth for a moment. The Spirit's been richly supplied to me. That means there's no sin I can't kill by the Spirit. That means I can go serve with the strength that God supplies so that in everything God will be glorified. As 1 Peter 4, verse 11 says. There's provision here. God's here to help me. God who never lies. Paul started this letter by saying we have a God who never lies. Now imagine reversing all of this, right? Let's not think about God being good and kind, but let's think about Him being harsh. Or let's teach that you are saved by your works. Or let's teach you're not an heir. You're just some employee in a company. Or the Spirit's not richly provided. You've just got 1%. If you teach the opposite, what's that going to produce? Is that going to produce people zealous for good works going out in a genuine way to serve the Lord? No. It'll produce a bunch of people who are insecure about God's love for them, and therefore they're afraid to step to the left or to the right because they're uncertain of incurring His wrath by that step that they take. But the one who hears of the Lord's love, hears of them being an heir, and makes them all the more free to serve the God who has so loved them. Okay, now I'm going to open this. I'm going to have a letter opener up here. Let's see what's in here. I've got some junk mail from Capital One it looks like. This is obviously not a true letter. I made this up, so I'm trying to make a point. We'll see if I make it. Okay, I have a letter here. Let's see how it affects me. Dear James, this is your uncle John Doe Jennings. It's been a while since we've seen each other. Recently, I have felt compelled to get my estate in order due to the uncertainties of life. I want you to know that I've chosen you to inherit $54 million of my estate upon my death. I also desire for you to have one of my mansions in the Dominion. I think you will like the one on Davenport Lane the most because of the living room size being able to fit your church's grace group with ease. Or even the entire church for that matter. Also, I know growing up, you were very consumed in idolized basketball, so I'm going to give you my 51% ownership of the San Antonio Spurs. I know this is a small portion of my full estate. And seeing I'm only 53, it may be 30 years before this happens and comes to fulfillment. But I wanted you to know ahead of time of my appreciation for you, sincerely, Uncle John Doe. Say again? Oh, yeah, John Doe Jennings. Now look, if we're honest, if that was a real letter, I mean, literally, if you really got here this morning and somehow someone had accidentally forwarded a letter meant to you into that box and I gave you that letter and you opened it up and you really had inherited $54 million, would that have affected you? It would. Even as a Christian. Money affects people and inheritance affects people. I mean, it would change your day, right? There's all of a sudden this sense of security that makes you now feel free to live, quote, quote, right? And there's a sense of all the good you're going to go and do. Or if anything, it'd really produce fear in you about the absolute stewardship that God has put in your lap and you'd be terrified. But it would affect you. Well, I'm here to tell you today that you all have a letter given to you not by Uncle John Doe, but from God Himself and the inheritance you have is worth more than $54 million. It's worth more than a house in the Dominion. And I'm here to tell you, why aren't you living in view of that reality as you should? Right? You know what's keeping us from that? Our unbelief. Our worldliness. Our focus too much. The letter in the Bible is true. It should change our day. It should change your zeal for the Lord. You know, hearing of a future inheritance, it creates hope. I mean, Uncle John Doe Jennings there said, you know, he might live another 30 years. Right? So there's a sense of, okay, well, when am I going to partake? I mean, I'm hoping. You know, I mean, I don't want him to die, but boy, if he dies, it'd really benefit me. Christ already did die. We read that in Hebrews 9. And what happens when you die? The will, it comes. I mean, we're right now sharing in our inheritance. Right now, we're partaking in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the fullness is only going to come. It's only going to be more. It's only going to be greater than what we have right here. That should give us hope. Should give us hope. We have something to look forward to. It should sadden us how much an earthly inheritance could be dreamed among in the imaginations of some. People make movies about this. The world is fascinated by some random person out there getting a big inheritance and the world wants to make a movie about it. Why aren't they making a movie about us? Because we were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and sins. And guess what happened? The God of the universe, He came down in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. And He lived a perfect life. And He died for us as enemies to make us co-heirs with Him. Make a movie about that. There's more riches than anything. And it's more real than any type of earthly inheritance. And you see the point? All of a sudden, it should drive you. I want to work for the One Who has loved me so much. That's what He says here. Insist on these things. Why? So those who believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. Really, the truth of the Gospel, the truth of your inheritance in Christ makes you careful and very serious about doing good for the Lord? Absolutely. Absolutely. So what is our inheritance? In Titus 3:7, He says here, according to the hope, heirs according to the hope of eternal life. There's a hope. There's something we're hoping for. Eternal life. And maybe the next verse that comes to your mind as you put Scripture to Scripture, what would that verse be? Maybe John 17, verse 3. And this is eternal life, that you may know Me, the one true God, and Jesus Christ, whom I have sent. So what is eternal life? He says there that you know the only true God. What's know Me? That you have an intimate relationship with the living God. What is our inheritance? 2 Corinthians 5:8-9 It says we are of good courage. We would rather be away from the body and at home. At home with who? The Lord. Right? The Lord. We want to be at home with Him. John 14, verse 3, I will come again and take you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also. Right? We're far away from the One we love. And one day we'll go to be with Him. Far more intimacy and closeness to the One whom our heart loves. Matthew 25-23 Well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master. In other words, ultimately, God Himself is our inheritance. God Himself. He's not only the provider of the will, but He is the primary portion of it. All He has and all He has ever done. The top line item is not $10 billion. The top line item is not streets of gold. The top line item on the will that you're concerned, has that been portioned to me? It's God. It's Christ. It's seeing Him, not dimly as through a mirror, but face-to-face. It's why Asaph could say in Psalm 73, there's nothing on earth I desire besides You. Or why Paul could say in Philippians 1-21, to depart and be with Christ is far better. Right? To be with Christ. We are new covenant priests of God. And as priests of the old herd, in Numbers 18-20, the Lord said to Aaron, I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. Aaron didn't get physical land. He was a priest. I'd say the same reality is in the New Testament. God's saying I am your portion. I'm what you want. Isn't that what you and I want this morning? We loathe the fact that we don't know the Lord as well as we should. We're not as sensitive to His voice as we should. We lack faith at times. We struggle, as Matthew talked about in the first hour. And we think, when we remember the promises that we... when we're in the dark, as Mike Morrow said, remember the promises in the dark that you believed in the light. And when all of a sudden we believe those promises and we get out of that darkness, we look back and we just think, Lord, You are a kind God. You're so patient with me in the midst of this trial. I shouldn't have doubted You. Lord, thank You for Your tender mercy. I mean, what son? I asked my daughter this. I said, if I had a will, would you rather have whatever you inherit from me, which I'm not rich, so maybe an easy answer, or would you have me? Would you rather have all the possessions or me? Right? I think it's a similar thing with the Lord. We want Him. We don't want Him gone and to enjoy all these things. We want the Lord. He is our ultimate inheritance. He is that top-line item, you could say. And we're taking part of Him now and more fully to come. And that's something we should think about. And as we think about it, it will absolutely motivate us to be zealous for good works. And so I want to... the second half here is just consider our inheritance in contrast to the ones from the world. I want you to see how incredible your inheritance is compared to anything that this world has to offer. If someone tells you they're the heir of whatever, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, those guys, you can tell them I've got everything on you. You've got such a pathetic inheritance compared to what I have in Christ. And you can partake of this inheritance as well. So number one, the amount of our inheritance is beyond every other one in the history of the world. The value. Again, we're not just thinking in physical value. God is not all about money. You're never going to find an inheritance with more value. If you had a list of the top inheritances given, ours would be above everything else in the world. All the others would seem like they've got one piece of sand. It'd be nothing compared to what we have in Christ. Doesn't the Lord Jesus say what does it profit a man? If he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul. What can a man give in exchange for his soul? Meaning even if you gained the whole world and every dollar was yours and every house was yours and every person was your slave, you could not trade that to pay the sin debt for your soul. It does not have that infinite value like Christ has who died to pay for our sins. J. William, he said this. Paul praised that the Ephesians may be enlightened to know, and he speaks of the hope of their calling in the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. The inheritance of the worldling who has portion in this life. The inheritance of the Jew in Canaan. The inheritance of Adam in Paradise. The inheritance of angels in Heaven all come far short of the believer's expectation. At present, it cannot be fully either described or conceived. It does not yet appear what we shall be. We can't even get our minds fully around it because we can't get our minds fully around God and His incredible goodness and kindness towards us who believe. Even what the Scriptures teach on a varying degree of rewards, that won't create some discontentment. They're in Paradise with Christ. So our inheritance is above the rest. Verse 2, we are heirs with Christ. We're not under Him on the will. Romans 8, we are children of God, and if children, then heirs of God and fellow or joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. The Father has eight children. And especially in the Old Testament, who would get the inheritance? It would be the firstborn. Right? The firstborn. Well, guess what? Your father might have ten children, but here we're co-heirs with Christ. We're going to get what His inheritance is because we're in Him. We're in Him. It's like the wife, because of union with her husband, she gets the inheritance. They're one, so also because of our union with Christ. That's why we're going to get an inheritance because He earned it for us. And yet, the inheritance is Him in many ways. He's the top line item of it. This is in contrast to the world. Some children, they have an expectation that a big inheritance awaits them from their father to only find out at the last moment He rewrote the will and gave them much less than gave their brother the majority. Right? That's not going to happen to us. Because our inheritance is based on Christ. Right? He secured it. Number three, this inheritance does not diminish. We kind of hit on this, but based on more heirs. It doesn't diminish based on more heirs. The Lord can have as many sons as the stars, and that won't lessen our inheritance since each one of us is co-heirs with Christ. If anything, think of this. What person who is in an earthly inheritance is trying to get others to join in in that inheritance? They don't do that. It's like I want that for myself. I don't want you to adopt this person and then they become a co-heir with me. The Christian is wanting everyone to partake. Come on, join in. You can believe in God and you can partake of this. You can be an heir. Fourth thing, this inheritance will leave no one unhappy with the portion of their share. You can find countless true stories of siblings suing each other because they were not happy with their share. Many inheritance has destroyed a family completely. Cut them right down the middle. Even in the Bible, this was happening. Luke 12, someone in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. What did Jesus say? Go give him a good fight and sue him? No. But He said to him, Man, who made Me a judge or arbiter over you? And He said to them, Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Look, what matters right now, it's not whether you have a rich relative who put you on their inheritance. What matters is are you going to inherit Christ? Are you partaking of Him? All else is absolute loss. No matter what you get in the world, your life does not consist in the abundance of His possessions. And your possessions can't atone for your sin. Fifth thing, the price paid to secure our inheritance was the max. It's different than all the other inheritances, right? I mean, there's people in the world that work so hard. They live. They make billions and billions of dollars. They build up this company. They amass the riches. And then they give it on to their children. Or they give it on to someone. Or some people even give it on to their dog. They give it to whoever. That's not so with us. Christ came. He never sinned. He had infinite value. He suffered our penalty that we deserve. He purchased our inheritance and then He gives it to us. Not because of anything that we have done, but because of His loving kindness and goodness. He's the only One who could provide an inheritance in that type of way. A sixth thing here, contrasting the inheritance of the world with ours, with the heavenly reward. The sixth thing, the longevity and duration of our inheritance is the max it can be. Even if you supposedly inherit a lot in this earth, how long do you get to enjoy it for? A few more rolling suns at most. Right? That's it. I mean, it's physical property. Someone else is going to end up with that in 80 years. It's not going to be you. You can only enjoy it in this life. Our inheritance we're enjoying right now in this life and more fully in the life to come. It's just progression of it. It just gets better and better and better. And the longevity, it's never going to end. You're not going to inherit it and it's going to run out. You're not going to have to pass it on to someone else. The seventh thing, the certainty of you possessing this inheritance. It's certain that you and I are going to possess it because it's guarded. The earthly father, he can promise his children all he wants that he has something set aside for them. There's no guarantee. Many an earthly father, even once they die, to the kid's shock, they will get stuck in probate. They can't get validated. David probably dealt with them. They're thinking, I thought the money was this close to my fingertips. And three years later of court, they still don't have it. That's not going to happen to us. And it's not happening to us now. The Lord is not far off now. Lamentations 5. Matthew's in 3, but in 5, they say our inheritance has been turned over to strangers. Our homes to foreigners. We've become orphans, fatherless. Our mothers are like widows. We're not going to experience that. In the life to come, that's not going to happen. We're not going to find our inheritance is turned over to some stranger that God couldn't guarantee it and guard it and bring it to fulfillment. A Leonard Smith died in 2008. He worked with his financial advisors and attorneys to make sure his children received the balance of his retirement funds when he died. But a single mistake thwarted his well-laid plans. Family members realized a year after he died that his IRA form was filled out incorrectly, but Smith's failure to complete the form correctly invalidated the document. Oh, you think of those kids. The money's so close. Not like the money's really going to satisfy anyway. If anything, it might drive them from the Lord for it's harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But we're not going to experience that. We're not going to find out that the Lord didn't fully complete out the form. It's not going to happen. We have a certainty of possessing it. Some, they die before they can enjoy it. Ecclesiastes 6, God gives a man wealth, possessions, honor, so he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them. But a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity. It is a grievous evil. Some, they'll come along and kill you to get your inheritance. Luke 20, 14, but when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, this is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours. Guess what? Someone kills you to try to take your eternal inheritance, it doesn't strip you of it. It ushers you in to experience it in its absolute fullness. For the Christian, there's going to be no legal problems to prevent you from getting it. Again, you're already experiencing it now because the One who wrote the will has already died. And so it's already been enacted because Christ has died and raised from the dead. 1 Peter 1, 4 says it's to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. You hear that? Our inheritance is unfading. It's not fading. It's not decaying. And it says here, by God's power, are being guarded till when? Till the last time. Till the final judgment. God's guarding us. God's keeping us. Hebrews 9, 15, Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. We're going to receive it. We should be looking forward to that. We should be thinking about this hope of eternal life, of knowing the Lord, of being with Christ. And it makes you behave differently in this life. The love of Christ. It impacts you. His goodness, His kindness, His justifying work frees you to serve the Lord. And I should add here, look, though it's certain for those who truly possess it, I would be wrong to overlook some of the warnings that our Bible says. Because the Bible declares there are some people who think they are an heir. They think they are going to inherit, and they're not. And it would be wrong of me to pass those over and trying to be too gracious. They believe they bear the family name. They think they're co-heirs, but they're going to get nothing. Worse than nothing. They're going to get hell. We read about these in two places. Ephesians 5. You may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetousness, that is an idolater, putting anything above God, he says that person has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. No inheritance. That's not my words. That's Paul's. There's people who think they're going to inherit, and they're not. He says the same thing in 1 Corinthians 6-9. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? And then he says these amazing words. Don't be deceived. Look, there's plenty of people out there who have fake letters saying you're a co-heir with Christ while you go and live in your sin. That's a counterfeit letter. That's like those fake letters from Nigeria about you inheriting all sorts of money from some Nigerian prince. It's not real. It's not real. You can't have Christ and have your sin. You can only serve one Master. You'll hate the one and you'll love the other. And he just said in 2 Corinthians 14, did you not read, He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works. And he speaks about this purifying work in 3-5 about the Spirit. The one who's been born again. The regenerated. They've been brought from the dead. They're now, Romans 6, 17 says, obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which has been committed unto them. So, I must throw out that warning. There are counterfeit letters out there and some people think they're going to inherit and they're not. You and I want to make sure, not in an overly introspective way, but in a wise way, we want to make sure to examine ourselves. Is the truth I believe causing me to live for the Lord? Or does it have no effect on my life? When you think about inheritances, you think about Esau. He had an earthly inheritance. What did Esau trade that inheritance for? A bowl of soup. Isn't that amazing? People look at Esau and they think that's crazy. Why would a man who just came back from hunting and he's all worn out and his brother's just made soup and he's the firstborn, he's the heir, he's going to get all those firstborn rights, and in a moment of time, he thinks he's going to die if he doesn't get any food and he trades being an heir, having those firstborn rights for a bowl of soup. People say that's crazy. The fact is we see that happen all the time. We see someone for their sexual immorality, that's their bowl of soup. And in a moment, they say, you know what, forget the Lord, I'm going to go for that. Or their idolatry. They just trade in a moment of time for that. You don't want to do that. So an eighth thing here. Contrasting our inheritance with the inheritances in the world. I guess I've already hit on this, but the certainty of our inheritance maintaining its value. Peter said it's imperishable, undefiled, unfading. This stock of the Lord Jesus Christ, of heaven, of eternity, its value never goes down. We're not sitting there looking at the app seeing if the value decreased today or not. It's not going to happen. It's perfectly stable. It's not fading. We don't have that fear. The thief isn't going to break in and steal. The building isn't going to burn down. There are many a child who had a rich father and on the will it said they would get X amount, but before their father died, he made some business decision and he lost everything. And they had nothing. That's not going to happen for us. Our inheritance is maintaining its value. A ninth thing. Think of the rarity of possessing this inheritance. Jesus said in Matthew 7, 13-14, few there be that find it. I mean, you're one of the few whose elder brother is Christ. You're one of the few who's been brought out of darkness into the light. I mean, it's incredible. Like, why am I even here today believing in God? It wasn't my own doing. It really wasn't. The Lord sought me out. And He took me out of darkness. All to Him I owe. This is rare. Again, you could look at the list of all the billionaires in the U.S. and someone would think, oh, you're an heir to that. That's nothing compared to what we have in Christ. It's foolish to even compare it because even if you had the whole world, it'd be nothing. I mean, think, if you're one of the few, what a privilege. Colossians 1:12 says this, you should give thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. You know who qualified you? God did. God sent His Son. His Son perfectly met every qualification in His one perfect life. And He died on that cross. He opened the door for us, His enemies, to be brought in as co-heirs. It's absolutely incredible. A tenth thing here, the inheritance that we're going to get, the Lord longs to give it to us. That's in comparison to some of the rich people in the world. They don't really want to give it to their kids. They would even acknowledge how snobby their children are or how the rich are going to ruin them. That might actually be a loving thing to not give the kid the inheritance because of the damage it might do to them or something of that nature. But our Lord, He loves to give us it. Isn't that what Luke 12, verse 32? It is our Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom. It's God's good pleasure. He delights to give you the Kingdom. He delights to guard you to get you there to the end. Right? There's one millionaire I read of online. She did not give her grandchildren any inheritance. Why? Because their father who had died, they didn't visit his grave every year. So she decided they weren't going to get anything. She let her grandchildren know that. Think of our Lord. Is our Lord like that? You didn't do that one thing I wanted you to do perfectly. You're not going to partake. The Lord's not like that. Despite our failures, He longs and takes pleasure in us partaking of this inheritance. If we could lose it by our failures, we would have lost it. But He's guarding us. He's keeping us. An eleventh thing, the inheritance we have, it's not received because of something we've done. And a lot of inheritances in the world, that's why they get it. It's something they did. Many, they'll select a family member they most favor to give the inheritance. Not with us. Not with us. We are given it because of what someone has done. But who is that someone? Christ. Someone had to do something to get us an inheritance. The Lord Jesus Christ. So we do get it because of what someone did, but we don't get it because of something we have done. Sergei Sudov was left 950 million euros by an uncle he had not seen for ten years. But apparently, he must have made a good impression at that meeting a decade ago because it prompted the uncle who lived in Germany to write Sudov into his will straight away. The student had no idea he stood to inherit a fortune. And he went on with his course in journalism. Then one day, there was a knock at his door in the town of Komrat. His uncle's agents had tracked him down to pass on the incredible news. A shocked Sudov is reported to have said, is this a joke? Will you catch that? Why did he get an inheritance? He must have done what? Left a good impression. You see what impression we left on the Lord? Verse 3, foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions, pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. Is that a good impression? That's when the Lord took us out and gave us an inheritance. It wasn't after we're converted we're going to get the fullness and glory. But He took us from that state and has given us such riches. It's amazing. It's amazing. Even in 1926, a man died and it's called the Great Stork Derby. And he decided that who would inherit his riches would be the woman who could have the most children within ten years. At the end of ten years, four women each had nine children and they each got around $2 million. They did something to get an inheritance. That's not how it is with us. It's not by works that we have done. It's not a matter of if I see ten people brought to Christ in my lifetime, then I'm going to get the inheritance. No, I get it because of Christ. Galatians 3, if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise. But God gave it to Abraham by a promise. Paul tells us here, it's not by works. This new covenant we partake of, this inheritance we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, it's not by works. It's by the work of Christ and freely given to us from a merciful and kind God who has chosen to adopt us, His enemies, and bring us into His marvelous light. The twelfth thing, an inheritance that causes you to live differently. Are you living in view of your inheritance? In 2009, Slavot and Giza were two homeless brothers living in a cave in Hungary. Despite the fact, they were the grandchildren of an extremely wealthy German woman. The article says this, they did not know about it. They didn't know about it. They had no idea. I mean, what if that's you, believer? What if you don't know about this inheritance that's being guarded for you? That's secure for you? That's going to be given to you? That you're even partaking of now in the eternal life of knowing Christ now and more fully then? Do you know about it? And what would happen when these people found out? It would change how they lived. That's what should happen to us. It should change how we lived. We who are saved are often like the young man above in the second example above I've given who said he had no idea of what he stood to inherit. He just wasn't living in view of that reality. Guess what? The Lord has let us know that we are co-heirs with Christ. The Lord has let us know there is an inheritance. He's actually let us know right here, right now, and it should affect how we live. Most parents obviously don't mention to their kids whatever the will is going to be because it could all change in a day. But that's not how our Lord is. He's actually let us know about this inheritance. Another thing here, the behavior of the heirs who are possessing this inheritance, as I've mentioned throughout this whole message, it should affect how you live because of the hope you have, the anticipation you have. It should encourage you when times feel bleak and hard. It might feel like things aren't going well. You have an inheritance. You are an heir of the most wealthy person in existence. The Lord Himself. And it's where wealth really matters. Not finances. Not money. Not a bank account. But you've got in your legal account before God's courtroom the righteous record of His Son. And there's no condemnation for you now because of Christ. You have a hope far much more divine. A hope that should cause you to know it and to all the more work heartily in view of it. Do you see this? There's such contrast. Again, make a movie about us, the co-heirs of Christ. That's what's incredible. Enemies of God brought into such an incredible inheritance. It's nothing compared to the two guys in the cave who get $500 million. Really? Is that really impressive? What's that $500 million going to do for them in the end? It's not going to pay their sin. Their sin debt. It's not. And money, it has a way of just falling right through your fingers. You can't hold on to it. But do you see the contrast? And now some of you might say, you know what? I want in on this inheritance. I want in. How do I inherit? Well, he says right there in v. 7, you can be declared righteous. You can be justified before God's courtroom by His grace, by His power, by His might, by His kindness, and you can become an heir according to the hope of eternal life. The hope of eternal life. What must you do? There's many ways to answer that. What must I do to be saved? Believe. He says here, these are those who believe in God. But some people even turn believing into a work. Well, how do I believe? Believing is not about you doing anything. It's about you ceasing from works and trusting that Christ has done everything on your behalf. Well, will He really save me? Well, Paul just said at the start of this letter, God who never lies. God who never lies. You can be a co-heir with Christ today, even you children. What's keeping you back from these riches? What's keeping you back from Him? What's keeping you back from a paradise all of eternity? John 5:40, that's what's keeping you back. You refuse to come to Him that you might have life. You can have life, but you refuse to come. The fault's on you. Stop trying to create something, a feeling. Trust Christ. You say I'm unworthy. Yeah, you are. James 2:5, listen, my beloved brothers. Has God not chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom? Which He has promised to those who love Him. God's chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith. So do you see how much for your good God is? His purposes are good for you and that will overflow in your life wanting to do good work for the Lord. It's natural. It's natural. Just a few final thoughts here. I would ask you this, some application. Are you learning good doctrine? Because it matters. You knowing who God is, it matters. You understanding justification, regeneration, the Holy Spirit, you understanding an heir having an inheritance, it matters. It matters. It affects how you live. A second thing. So how do you increase your speed in good works? Well, I'm not telling you to increase your speed. Paul says do your best to speed them on the way. There's urgent needs. Don't miss them. I'm not telling you to sit around in panic and wonder am I missing some opportunity to serve. I'm telling you to sit around and think about the Lord and His inheritance to you, and then when that opportunity to serve drops in your lap, you'll be very willing to do it now because you're just thinking about all the glorious things that God has done for you. And you'll be ready to take it on by faith. Do your best. Paul says in 2 Timothy to the preacher, do your best to present yourselves to God as one approved. A worker who has no need to be ashamed. Rightly handling the Word of Truth. We don't want to be ashamed. Our God is so good. In the works we do, in the preaching, the truth, whatever it is, do your best. Put all your effort into it because you have a God who has exerted all of His effort and all of His will for your good. There are certain things that have a unique window of opportunity for them to be met. There are urgent needs. Paul says make sure they're lacking in nothing. Is there anyone right now that's lacking in something that you know about? Do these truths cause you to want to help them with that need? Another thing, you might bemoan and say to me, well, I didn't do it as fast as I should have. Or I could have done it better. You know what Paul says? Do your best. Put your full effort. And I don't want to lighten that, but it made me think about the kid in the race. He got fifth place. But he literally did his best. For the body size he had and the stamina he had, he literally ran as fast as he could. It didn't matter that he didn't get first place. And I'd say the same to you believers. The issue is can you step back and say, you know what, in all my failure, I put all the effort I could by the grace of God to serve the Lord in this way. I did my best. I did my best. It wasn't half-hearted. Well, the Father is pleased with you. And even when you fail to make every effort, Christ never failed. And it's by His works you're justified. Now to ask you this question, are any of you here questioning God this morning? His goodness? This truth ought to keep us from bitterness and suspicion against God. If He's given you such a good inheritance, why question some providence in His life? Why question it? Why say, Lord, are you being fair? You know what fair is? None of us being coherent with Christ. None of us partaking of this glorious reality. So, brethren, I say to you as Paul does in 2 Corinthians 4, so we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. As we look, as we look, not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Where are you looking? Where are you looking? You're in error, so do your best to be careful to devote yourself to good works and meet the urgent needs. Father, Lord, what have You done? You have done so much. I mean, all of this, Lord, in some ways, it can feel similar to this random person finding out they've got $50 million. But Lord, this is so much greater than that. Your love. What You've given us. Salvation. Eternal life. Eternal life. Lord, we're so hardened in our hearts at times that at least it feels that way when we don't see these things as they are. Lord, help us to look to that which we cannot see. Lord, help us when someone asks us if we're in error, Lord, to right away think first about the spiritual realm. Lord, we think, I am. I am. I have an inheritance that's coming all the more fully when I die. Lord, we thank You for that. Forgive us of how we fall short. We thank You for Your Son, the Lord Jesus. We thank You, Lord, for Your kindness and goodness. Lord, I pray You would save those here who don't know You and You'd show them Your goodness and kindness that they would be those who believe in God. Lord, You're no liar. You keep Your Word. You never lie. We rest on Thee. In Jesus' name, Amen.