Surprise Ending!

June 8, 2023

Surprise Ending!

When it comes to movies, most of us do not like unresolved endings.  We want to know for sure what happened to each of the main characters.  Even if the ending does not involve the heroine singing a love song as she rides off into a beautiful Nebraska sunset, we want there to be some resolution to the tension created earlier in the movie.

We don’t like surprise endings!

Come to think about it, we want the same thing in our relationships with other people.  We don’t like it when things are left hanging without a clear explanation.  We want clarity and consistency as well as faithfulness and dependability.

We want to know what he meant when he said that. 

We want to know her motivation when she did that. 

We want to know if there is still a future or if this is the end.

We don’t like unresolved endings in our movies, in our books, in a ball game, or in our relationships.  We also don’t like unresolved endings in our prayers, in our Bible, in our worship, or in our relationship with Jesus. 

And yet, many of us live and love in ways that have or will make for more than a few surprise endings. 

We slight the person we love…over and over. 

We put our job before our children…day after day. 

We grumble resentful words to our coach…practice after practice.

And then, we are surprised when things don’t go well. 

Sadly, the same thing is happening to many who call themselves Christ-followers.  They hold onto the hope of the happy ending called heaven but are making choices today that may lead to a surprise ending.

Early in His ministry, Jesus takes time to lay out the essential beliefs for those who choose to trust and love and obey the Son of God.  One of Jesus’ statements is focused on a potential surprise ending for those who say they are a Christ-follower. 

In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says; “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”

Jesus is saying that not everyone who goes to worship will enter the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus is intimating that not all who say they are a Christian will have eternal life with Jesus.  Jesus is declaring that simply saying “I believe in God” is not enough to spend eternity with the Lord.

Jesus is clear; there are many people who claim to be spiritual (and Christian!) who are going to experience a surprise ending when they take their last breath. 

Jesus’ statement may cause some to doubt that heaven is the ending Jesus has in store for them.  I confess there have been times when I wonder about heaven and whether I will have a place there with those who love Jesus.  Sometimes I wonder if I am in for a surprise ending. 

Like you, I look for the assurance of eternal life.  I often turn to the Bible.  In I John 2:28 we hear; “And now, little children, abide in him (Jesus), so that when he (Jesus) is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.”

John says we can have confidence when we meet Jesus when He comes at the end of the age or when we meet Jesus when we die.  We can have confidence and assurance when we “abide in Jesus.”  But, to abide in Jesus is more than a feeling or a conviction. 

To abide in Jesus means we do something.  We invite the Holy Spirit to produce spiritual fruit in our lives.  One of the fruits the Apostle Paul mentions in Galatians 5 is faithfulness. 

When our faith in Jesus is growing, the Holy Spirit will give us the assurance of Jesus’ presence with us today and our presence with Jesus in heaven.  When our faith in Jesus is growing there is no surprise ending!

If you are not sure about your eternal destination, give some time to abiding (doing something!) in Jesus.  Spend some time in the Bible, in prayer, or serving the poor.  Spend some time in worship, in a small group, or fasting. 

As you draw nearer and nearer to the heart of Jesus, the Spirit will give you assurance of eternal life.  The good news is the Holy Spirit will not only give you the assurance of eternal life in heaven, He will also fill your heart with delight in Jesus.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug