FIREWORKS DON’T LAST

Psalm 78:39 - For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

Psalm 89:47 - Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

Pastor Rick Jackson

We often want good times or good things to last forever. We conversely are glad that bad times and/or bad things don’t last. Like the man who said his favorite verse of the Bible was “it came to pass” and he used that to comfort himself in troubled times. Fireworks are beautiful and exciting, eliciting oohs and aahs from appreciative onlookers, but they don’t last. Some things do, some things don’t.

I. THINGS THAT DON’T LAST PASS AWAY EVENTUALLY

1. The fashions of this world [1 Cor. 7:31]

the fashion of this world passeth away.

2. The lifetime of men [James 4:14]

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

3. The world as it is [2 Pt. 3:10]

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

II. THINGS THAT LAST ARE ETERNAL

1. The souls of mankind [Mt. 25:46, Lk. 16, Rev. 20]

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

2. Damnation in Hell [Daniel 12:2]

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3. Salvation in Christ [Mt. 25:46] 

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Jn. 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jn. 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

III. DECISIONS MADE HERE AFFECT ETERNITY

1. What you do with Christ [Rm. 6:23, Jn. 1:12]

- For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

- But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

2. What you do for Christ [1 Cor. 3:10-13]

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,

Only what’s done for Christ will last.