1 Corinthians 7:29-31 What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short.
From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those
who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not;
those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use
the things of this world, as if not engrossed in them.  For this world in
its present form is passing away.

 It can happen rather quickly and quietly.  You know what I mean.  That
Thursday evening when you come home and perhaps the workday was a bit
stressful.  You look at your watch as you finish your evening meal and
you say to yourself, "Ya know, there's church tonight, but I really don't
feel like going.  I'm tired and I just want to relax.  Missing one
service isn't going to kill me."
 Or it is a Sunday morning and you wake up.  You were out with your
friends and stayed up rather late or you were just at home and sat up and
watched that late night movie that you so enjoyed (if you're like me, it
doesn't matter if you've seen the movie 6 times already, you still sit up
and watch it).  You roll over in bed and you think, "I should get up and
go to church but I'm really tired and I think I'll just sleep in.  One
Sunday won't hurt."
 However the problem is that pretty soon it is not just one Thursday or
one Sunday you are missing.  The problem is that before you know it, it
is a month of Sunday's and then two and three months of Sundays.  Pretty
soon you find your thinking has changed.  Pretty soon you don't even
think of going to church.  Pretty soon there are hundreds of things that
you consider to be more important than Church and pretty soon you have
all sorts of excuses, "real reasons" for not being in church.  You know
the excuses.  "I don't get anything out of church...I can't stand those
kids who don't behave...The pastor's too loud...The pastor's too
negative...All they want is my money...They don't care about me...I don't
like the singing...The organ is too loud...You don't have to go to church
to get to heaven...I can worship God on my own!"  I'm sure each of us
could add our own excuses and thoughts to that list.
 Well I don't think any of us has ever escaped that battle for our soul.
That's what it is.  Such thinking, such attitudes, such habits become a
part of us because we tend to forget the whole reason and purpose of
church.  We tend to think that church is something manmade rather than
something God instituted.  We tend to think it doesn't matter, all this
stuff.  But it does.  God says it does.  God warns us it does.  God tries
to keep us on track by telling us the truth, by working to keep our
hearts in the right place and by trying to keep our hearts focused on Him
and His redemption.
 Yet we have a few great enemies.  We have opposing God those great
enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy our souls.  You know who they
are.  They are the Devil, the world and our own sinful flesh.  They are
the reason that Jesus told us, "For wide is the gate and broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is
the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
 The battle for our souls is great and it is going on right now.
 Let's then consider the lesson that is before us under the theme: DON'T
LOSE THE GOAL.  1st. Solemn words of warning.  2nd. Know what the goal
is.  3rd. This is our struggle.
 Now if there is one thing that we need to grasp when it comes to this
section of God's Word it is the simple fact that these words are indeed
words of warning.  We can see that just by looking at the first and last
sentences of this section.  Those sentences say, "What I mean, brothers,
is that the time is short...For this world in its present form is passing
away."
 Why is the Apostle Paul all concerned about the time?  It was not
because he was negative and paranoid but rather because of his great
concern for souls.  He understood the battle to possess our souls and the
importance of the gift of eternal life and salvation.  He also clearly
understood the transient nature of life.  In truth our lives are but a
flash, quickly coming and going.  We may think we have all the time in
the world, but just speak to anyone who is older and they will tell you
how fast time really is.  They will also tell you that when it comes down
to life none of us knows who long we have before we are called before the
judgement throne of God.  That means we need to be prepared NOW!  Not
next week, not next month, not when I have the time...but right now
because the issues of the soul are so important and eternal.  Should we
lose the goal it is more than just a glitch in life.  It is the horror of
unbelief and damnation.  It is the difference between heaven and hell,
between an eternity with God in His Kingdom or an eternity with Satan in
his.
 There is no doubt about the warning we are being given.  Our lives are
precious and so are our souls.  Our God wants us to have eternal life and
salvation with Him, but He also knows how easy and willingly we despise
his name, his Son and his love.  God wants us to fight the good fight, to
hold on to promises that we have, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
That's what's at stake.  The warning is well sounded and I pray is heard.
 The warning is also rather pointed, at least I think so.  What is being
driven at is clear.  He wants us to make sure of our goal.  To help you
grasp this let me share with you the words of our People's Bible
commentary on these verses.  They are very good.  They say, "The
directions he gives in these verses would apply to any period of time
before the second coming of our Lord.  These directions may be summarized
as follows: Do not be taken up with the affairs of this life.  That
includes even the marriage relationship.  Intimate and absorbing as it
is, our marriage commitment cannot transcend our devotion to our Lord.
Nor can life's sorrows and it's joys, or our business and our possessions
supplant our concerns for our heavenly treasure.  The things of this
passing world dare not displace our eternal good.  We are participating
in life's experiences, but we keep an inner distance from them.  We do
not try to get everything we can out of this life, lest we forfeit our
eternal inheritance to transient gains and pleasures.  'Life's little
day' cannot be measured against eternity."
What I like then is that the author of that commentary uses the fourth
verse of Luther's great hymn to drive home his point.  He uses the words
of the old hymnal because they are perhaps stronger than the words of the
newer one.  Verse 4 says, "And take they our life, goods, fame, child and
wife, let all these be gone, they have nothing won; the kingdom ours
remaineth."
I believe the words of our text are simple.  We are being encouraged not
to replace Jesus with the things of this world.  Jesus is eternal and
this world is not.  Jesus is all-powerful and this world is not.  Jesus
is the goal and this world is not.
So often we can forget that.  We talk about "going to church" and we let
that roll off of our tongues like it is something dirty.  Do we forget
that we have gathered here to give praise and thanks to our God for the
gift of eternal life?  Do we forget that God has given us this "church"
that we might keep our focus on Jesus and his redemption for our sake?
Do we get wrapped up in the externals of "church" and forget that it is
Jesus that is our focus and purpose?
We are here to hear about the Savior Jesus.  We are here to learn how he
died for our sins and by his victory over sin, death and the Devil gives
us eternal life.  We are here to keep the faith.  It is a faith that
talks about Jesus the Savior, talks about salvation by grace on account
of Jesus and talks about all that God has done for us.  We are here to
get the guidance of God for life, eternal life!  And while we may make
applications about how we should live according to God's Word our message
is not one of "do this and be that" to get to heaven.  It is about how
Jesus gets us there!
That's our goal.  Eternal life with Jesus!  Eternal life in Jesus!  Our
text is one that simply reminds us not to make this world, anything in
this world the goal.
In our mid-week Bible class we covered the parable of the Sower.  That's
the parable where the seed was sown.  Some lands on the path and is eaten
by the birds.  Some lands on the rocky soil, some among the thorns and
then some on the good soil.  Jesus helps us get the lesson of that
parable.
He tells us how the seed on the path eaten by the birds is literally
Satan working hard to make sure you don't hear and get God's Word.  Satan
is truly a great and dangerous enemy.  The seed sown on the rocky soil is
described this way, "The one who received the seed that fell on rocky
places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or
persecution comes because of the Word, he quickly falls away." Here is
the person who fails to keep God's Word as precious.  Here is the person
who forgets the Bible is about the gift of eternal life in Jesus and
rather thinks the Bible is God's rules for getting to heaven by living
the right life.  This person thinks the Word of God a burden and not
worth any trouble or difficulty.
Then there is the seed that falls among the thorns.  It is described in
this way.  "the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it,
making it unfruitful."  This is the person whose focus is this life.
They are wrapped up in the world, chasing the good feelings, the gusto,
the thrill of this thing or that, surrounding themselves with the
bounties of this life, treasured possessions and flush bank accounts.  To
work at our comfort and contentment in this life is okay but not to the
point where these things choke out Jesus!  Do you honestly think the
antiques you have will get you to heaven?  Will the number of deer you
have hunted and killed have any impact on eternal life?  Will those car
races you would never miss, those lottery tickets, those trophies (the
list here is quite long) will any of those things be the difference
between salvation and damnation?  If you know the right answer to that
question then you know what our text is talking about.
My wonderful, dear people of St. Paul.  We are in the midst of a battle.
The battle is for our eternal souls.  Our God has supplied all that we
need to be the victors.  Our God has sent his Son Jesus to forgive our
sins and grant eternal life.  Our God has also sent his Holy Spirit to
work in our hearts and minds that we might indeed hear and believe the
true message of Jesus.  Let's remind ourselves lovingly but truthfully of
the wonder of Jesus.  Let's stop putting God and His Son on the back
burner and move Him up front where He belongs.  Let's keep the goal of
Jesus and his love for us number one in our lives.  It's what we are
being encouraged in by God's Word.  It is the only thing that really
counts for this life and the next.  God help us in this.  Amen.