Introduction

Good morning. At the start of the year, we began a fascinating series called "The Way to Eternal Life." Today, we continue with the third part: "He who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

How can you attain eternal life? By detesting your short, bitter life filled with toil and sorrow in this world. However, if you are living well, like Solomon, with wealth and everything you desire, able to command the wind and rain, yet despair at the thought of your hard-earned gains falling into someone else's hands in the future, that is also a good thing. Brothers and sisters, do you know how crucial what we are discussing today is? One must hate their life in this world. You may not understand why you should hate your life. If you have no hope in this world but cling to false hopes, wouldn't that be a tragedy? You would understand if you visited an oncology hospital.

There was a celebrity who recently passed away, just this January. It seems a memorial service is being held for him somewhere today. He is dead! He had suffered from cancer and a cerebral infarction. Did he have moments of glory in his life? Yes, he had glorious moments and highlights. But cancer, especially colon cancer, is a terrible affliction. Imagine the contents of your intestines passing through your wound, your surgical incision—it's a horrifying thought. And there are difficulties with excretion, all sorts of symptoms.

He was full of hope while he lived. People were puzzled; he seemed to be recovering well, so why the sudden death? But there is nothing sudden about it; everyone departs when their time comes. Few people ask themselves, "What am I living for? What is my hope?" In reality, there is no hope. You might say, "I am a champion! I am a master!" But you will all end up in the crematorium, turning to smoke. You could be a ninth-dan Go player, a taekwondo black belt, an MMA champion, or a UFC champion. But to what end?

We once had a teacher who, on her first day at school, entered the classroom, a very young teacher. How young? In her early twenties, fresh out of university, teaching middle school students who were possibly taller and bigger than her. Some of the students even looked older than the teacher. One student, looking like a hoodlum, deliberately arrived late with five underlings. The teacher was helpless. As he pushed the door open, he looked at her and shouted, "What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?" Fortunately, I had taught her before she became a teacher, and I had told her that in such situations, she should not react or pay attention. If you ignore him, he will get bored, so you must feign composure.

But you must understand that the child's question is actually a philosophical one: "What are we doing?" What are people doing in this world? I felt a sense of tragedy. What are we ultimately doing? Recently, I hosted a friend and needed to drive him to Malaysia. Some time ago, his sister was diagnosed with cancer and did not have much time left, so he went back to visit her. On the third day of his visit, his sister passed away, breathed her last, and he saw her one last time. His sister was two or three years older than him and died in her seventies. How many days do you think someone in their seventies has left? Not many.

People react differently to death. Some people, upon seeing death, think, "I must live well, take care of myself, and enjoy life." That is one way of thinking. Another way is to realize that people live and then die, and there is no hope in this world, so one must seek the way to eternal life. People react differently to the same event; perhaps that is human nature. Some time ago, an image has been lingering in my mind.

I ministered to a sister for three months, praying for her. She had cancer, was forty years old, and died. Do you know what I was praying for in the last week or two of her life? I prayed silently, "May God have mercy and end it soon!" Her pain was so severe that she needed a painkiller every twenty to thirty minutes, and even prayer did not help. I prayed, "God, please have mercy and end it!" Isn't it better to end it than to continue? What if she had to endure that pain for another three to five years? It would not be good. What hope would she have? No hope, just toil and sorrow, suffering in life.

If you think living is enjoyable, then live well. But if living is suffering, the shorter the better, isn't it? But the family wants him to suffer more. Do you find that strange? In this world, the living want the dying to live a few more days, which means enduring a few more days of suffering. Not only does the dying person suffer, but the caregivers also suffer.

I find this very interesting. An elderly person was sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) before death. In the ICU, there is no personal care; tubes are inserted. Are there any doctors or nurses among us, especially those working in oncology hospitals? If so, you can tell me what it feels like. Seeing these things every day, it's like seeing all things as straw dogs; you become numb to it. Tubes are inserted, the heart stops beating, and the family is told, "Dead! Take him away." That's it.

I ask you, if you insert a small cotton swab into your nostril, is it uncomfortable? Yes, it is very uncomfortable. But tubes are inserted one after another, causing the patient great discomfort. The family pushes him into that discomfort, forcing him to suffer there. That's why some smart people write wills, instructing their families, "Don't put me on tubes!" That is the mark of a wise person. Someone said that her husband's uncle had lung cancer and was screaming like a bull in pain. My goodness! Later, I seriously considered that those who live earnestly will die painfully. The more one loves the world, the more one loves oneself, the more one cares about worldly matters, the more one will live arduously and die arduously!

Many people dislike it when I mention cancer, saying that it's frightening. Don't be afraid; you haven't gotten it yet, have you? Start preparing yourself now, and don't be so intense; don't develop a "cancer personality." If you have a "cancer personality," you need to think carefully today about whether you want to maintain it. It's not about me mentioning cancer; it's about your "cancer personality"—how earnestly you live, how much you love the world, how much you love yourself, how much you care about worldly matters, the more prone you are to getting cancer.

If people live without eternal life, they cling tightly to worldly matters but must eventually let go. So Jesus gave us an idea: "He who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." I will tell you something from the bottom of my heart, a truth: I really have no attachment to this world; I think it would be good to leave early, which is why I have lived until today. Some of my friends do not want to leave this world, and in the end, they are put on tubes, treated left and right, and a small cold or a minor COVID infection kills them. When I attend their funerals, they are the same age as me, and I look at them in their coffins.

So Jesus said, "He who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." I really don't think living another year in this world is a blessing for me; it might be a blessing for you, but for me, I still hope to leave this world early. It's quite tiring, living is still a bit tiring, a bit arduous. I think when our spirit leaves the body, being with the Lord is far better.

A few days ago, one of our sisters was pulled into a group and asked to pray. When this sister entered the group, she was shocked! Someone had been submerged in water for fifty minutes. Some of you may also have been in that group. After being submerged for fifty minutes, he was rescued, but he was essentially in a state of cerebral palsy. I suspect that when he was pulled out of the water, he still had a breath, but it's unknown which spirit was inside him; it might have been a demon. The family was shouting, "Save him! Save him!" They sold their family assets to pay for medical treatment. See how terribly they are being manipulated by demons. Do you know what happened? After selling everything, they couldn't cure him and had to borrow money. Initially, they borrowed 100,000, but that was just a drop in the bucket at the hospital. Then 300,000, then 500,000, then 1 million. I think if they tried to borrow more money now, no one would dare to lend it. They are so willing to live!

The child's father was crying there, looking incredibly miserable. I wondered if this child had come to collect a debt. Coming into this world, it was a debt owed by his parents from a previous life, resulting in cerebral palsy. Such things make me feel deeply moved. People cherish living in this world so much because they think that death is the end of everything. Their only hope in this world is to live, to live one more day. Although they will eventually die, they think living one more day is better than dying early; they cannot see through it. When I give such examples, people think that living is good. But pigs think the same way, and cows think the same way. Do you understand? Pigs and cows think the same way. But we have the image of the eternal God in us, so we cannot think that way. We are not pig-brained.

Later, there was more to the story. There was a very smart girl who excelled in her studies, making her parents happy. She went to Japan to study abroad, but she was stabbed to death by her best friend's boyfriend. It seems everyone knows about this news. After the murder, her mother has been seeking revenge ever since, wanting the man who killed her daughter to die. I am not saying this to be insensitive, but it is a human tragedy. Today there is one, tomorrow there is another, whether they are living well or not. If you are living well, you will forget that people die; if you are not living well, you will also forget that people die. Whether you are living a fulfilling life or a dull life, what are you doing?

We naturally assume that we live just to live, and then we suffer. One of our sisters told her pastor, "Teacher, I have been feeling uncomfortable these days." Why uncomfortable? She said she has a strong person's logic system inside her. Why strong? Because there is a young person at her workplace, much younger than her, who is very capable and has good leadership skills. She feels uncomfortable seeing how capable he is. I was wondering, what is she doing? Can you understand? She told the pastor that she has a strong person's logic system. Isn't that a weak person's logic system? Strong people are not strong in that way; feeling uncomfortable because someone else is strong is not a strong person's logic system; it's a weak person's logic system.

But whether it's a strong person's logic system or a weak person's logic system, their minds are filled with these things. What if cancer comes for you one day? You will suffer. How would you feel if it made you suffer even more? They just refuse to tear it down, just don't realize that living this little life is vanity of vanities. There is really no hope in living, so don't take living so seriously. You say you earn a good salary, and they haven't shortchanged you, but you see someone more capable than you, and you are fussing about what? It's just that you are living too seriously. All your hopes are in this world, all your hopes are in these trivial matters.

There was an extremely wise man named Solomon. This Solomon had everything he wanted, able to command the wind and rain, with many women in his harem. Solomon obtained everything that a typical man desires. But he despaired at the thought that people would one day die, he despaired at the thought of his own labor, so he wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes chapter 2, he said, "Then what happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart, “This also is vanity.” For of the wise man as of the fool there is no enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. How the wise man dies just like the fool! Whether you are smart or not, Solomon concluded that there is no difference in the end. A fool's dead body is a corpse, and a wise man's dead body is also a corpse.

After contemplating this, he said, "So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun."

People are truly in despair. Think about those who are wealthy; they also know that money often corrupts more than it edifies. But they just think money is good. What can you do? Today I tell you that only those who hate their life in this world will thirst for eternal life. When you think about dying one day, you will despair, and at that moment, you will thirst for eternal life. In fact, what God does, whether in Solomon's life or in anyone else's life, is to make you uncomfortable, to destroy the hope of this life in your heart.

When you visit the oncology hospital, you see that one of our sisters is a nurse there, with a relatively high rank and a decent salary. She sees those oncology patients every day. At first, she feels uncomfortable, but after a while, she becomes numb. They all want to live a good life, but they can't, ending up in cancer. Do you know what God is doing? God arranges many tragedies in this world. Why? To make you despair when you see them, to make you have no hope in this world. Some people have hope in this world, but in the end, it's actually very tragic. They all carry full of hope in this world, and in the end, it becomes full of memories. Gone. You want to live a good life, I don't blame you, who doesn't? But you can't, God won't let you. Like me, I want to live a good life, but I can't. I have to let go even if I don't want to.

I am filled with emotion, thank God! God gives me a glorious hope in eternity, which is the motivation for me to live and move forward. It allows me to let go of all the entanglements in this world. Knowing in this world that hating one's life in this world will preserve one's life for eternal life. This is the sermon I want to share with you today.

Scripture

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip in Bethsaida in Galilee with a request: “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:20-26)

Prayer

Lord, open our minds today. Let us sow what is perishable and reap what is imperishable, reap what is glorious. Let us sow what is of this life and reap what is of eternal life. Let us begin today, begin to know that there is no hope in this world, that the only hope in this world is to enter into the eternal life you have prepared for us. The salvation accomplished by God is for us to have eternal life, not to be healed of diseases. God, open our minds today, let us know that your command is eternal life. You want to save us from destruction and let us receive the glorious crown in eternity. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Scripture Background

What is the background of this passage? How did this happen? Jesus was walking towards Jerusalem and came to a place where there were three siblings, Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary. As a result, Lazarus fell ill, and the sisters, seeing that their brother was about to die, asked someone to quickly invite Jesus: Jesus, please come quickly! Jesus deliberately stayed for a few more days. When he arrived, Lazarus was dead and had been buried in the tomb for four days. That season should have been spring, and the weather was already hot. Four days, wouldn't the body be smelly? If you pack a bowl of noodles and leave it at room temperature for four days, then open it and see, how smelly would it be, can you eat it? You can't eat it.

Jesus saw Martha and Mary, saw Lazarus's sisters grieving, how they loved living so much! I tell you, people who have the hope of eternal life really don't like people living, really! It's right for people not to like living too much. Remember, living a little longer means suffering a little more, living a little shorter means suffering a little less, but people in the world don't think that way.
Jesus saw that you love living so much? Jesus didn't say it, but tears were about to flow out. After seeing so many miracles, how do you still not understand what living is about? Why do you think dying at seventy is better than dying at forty? Eighty is better than seventy? Living to a hundred is better than seventy or eighty? In fact, I tell you, if a person is paralyzed at seventy or eighty and lives to one hundred and twenty, paralyzed for forty years, what do you think? I don't think it's good, that's really suffering.

Jesus said, I will perform a miracle for you, so that you can see the glory of God, so that you can see that it is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail. Let you see the glory of God, so that you can believe that people have eternal life. Resurrection is in me, and life is also in me. You see Christians often write the words resurrection is in me, and life is also in me, and you know at a glance that they are Christians. This concept, I tell you, many people just can't listen to it, they just think living is good, no matter how they think, they think living is good. They often say, it's better to live poorly than to die well, and there is also this saying, a living dog is better than a dead lion. But, is that the case? No. It's because they have no hope of eternal life, only this life, and when they die, the lights go out. If after death, they are smeared with ointment and finally become a mummy, probably a piece of preserved meat, what's the point?

Jesus felt sad, how could I have explained it so thoroughly for so long, how is your hope still in this world? It's okay, I'll show you, resurrection is in me, and life is also in me. Then he let Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, come out of the tomb. Once he came out, I tell you, who has ever done such a thing from ancient times to the present? Dead for four days! If he died for five minutes, it's okay, dead for half an hour is barely okay, dead for four days, and he stinks.

Lazarus came out of the tomb, causing a sensation throughout the world. People from all over Jerusalem came to see. When they heard that the miracle performed by Jesus was unmatched, they all came to see. They not only looked at Jesus, but also wanted to see if Lazarus was alive. Some people saw Lazarus come back to life, but said that he was not dead in the first place. What kind of brain is that? He wasn't dead in the first place, was he eating and drinking spicy food in the tomb? So sometimes, people can explain it any way they want.

But the problem came, Lazarus was resurrected from the dead, and people came to see. What did they see? I tell you, people see different things when they see dead people; people see different things when they see dead people resurrected. After seeing it, the matter spread to many places. Some Greeks came from other places and saw this in the capital Jerusalem? They went to see Jesus. We don't know what their purpose was in seeing Jesus. Some Pharisees also wanted to see Jesus, and also wanted to see Lazarus. Their purpose was to kill Jesus and kill Lazarus, otherwise what to do? Jesus had snatched all their fans, and no one believed in the Pharisees' stuff anymore.

As a result, these Greeks came to find Jesus, which is the scripture we read today. Jesus did not answer whether to see these Greeks or not. How could Jesus have time? The time was so short, he was about to be glorified, he was about to be crucified, he was about to be resurrected from the dead, how could he have time to care about these Greeks? As a result, Jesus said this passage, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

This passage is too shocking for us. What is this saying? Hate one's own life, do I have to hate living? That's right! Don't think that you can do whatever you want if you like living. I tell you, those cancer patients are all people who love themselves very much, people who especially like living, do you understand? Why do those cancer patients suffer so much? It's because they love living too much. You love living so much, God will send a few little devils to mess with them, let them love living so much. So I tell you, it's a tragedy for people to especially want to live.

I have a friend who is a pastor, who especially wanted to live, and had tubes inserted for four months. I felt very surprised, you are a pastor, how can you love living so much? Lying in a coffin, the skin is chocolate-colored. How much suffering must that be? They sent messages saying everyone should pray for him quickly. Why pray? Because what he urinated was all salt.

These words of Jesus are what we are going to talk about today. Hating your life in this world, whether you hate it or not determines your future. A person with the hope of eternal life does not put hope in the hands of doctors. Everyone may know, why I didn't see a doctor even though I had such a serious illness, do you understand now? I don't really want to live, I'm not interested in living. As for you wanting me to live, that's another matter. As for myself, I thank God! Because I read the Bible thoroughly, I really don't care about living. Die and be done with it, when you are alive, you must be like Jesus, that's all.

If you can live out 10% of Jesus's likeness, then live out 10%, it's better to live out 20%, 30% is better, 90% is better, strive to pursue this. There is absolutely a firm belief in me, this firm belief is not confidence, because I know where my hope is. The firm belief is that when I return to God, I will receive God's praise, a faithful and good servant, come in and enjoy the master's glory! Oh, why did I come so late? Thank God, it's okay to come late. This place is so good! It's so good to come to this place of the Lord Jesus! When you look at those on the ground again, it's too disgusting!

Then what's the point of living? Many people don't know, without comparison, there is no harm. In my heart, I really haven't been there, but I know that place is especially good. God, if you let me go today, I will definitely not let you wait until tomorrow. Everyone slowly ponder. Once the Lord Jesus said, are you willing to die for me? Oh, my God, what virtue and ability do I have to have this opportunity! So I often advise brothers and sisters, when you encounter this situation, don't say I'll go back and think about it. After you finish thinking about it, Jesus won't think about it. I'm willing! You say, what time is okay, right now! Then what about your wife and children at home? Oh, God, you can take care of it, I can't take care of it.

After Jesus finished saying this passage, I tell you, what does John write next? He performed many miracles for you, the greatest miracle is that people are resurrected from the dead. Although he performed many miracles, people still did not believe. You think, performing such a great miracle, what conclusion can be drawn? This person is too powerful, this is a divine person! But the Pharisees want to kill him! I said what kind of brain is this? Why? Because the brain is broken. Later I discovered that people's values, worldviews, and views on life determine what they do. If he feels that all hope is in this world, what eternity, what returning to God, what eternal life. Forget it! Why? You see those Jewish ruling class, doesn't this affect my rule? Just thinking about this, just thinking about this in my head, knowing nothing, it's fatal.

So what are God's miracles for? God's miracles are for people to seek eternal life. If people are in darkness, they follow the logic of darkness; in the light, they follow the logic of light. This is the background of this passage. John said this, This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”. It's really emotional.

In fact, the ultimate purpose is not healing and deliverance, healing and deliverance is not to make you love the world more after you are healed. Indeed, some people love the world more after healing and deliverance. The other day, I served a person, whose eyes went from being about to go blind to being able to see, those eyes were already failing, really almost useless. After it got better, I felt that after experiencing such great power of God, people should follow God well. No, he didn't even take notes anymore, and was put in Ganquan by his pastor, put in the desert. The other day, he looked for his pastor again, and his pastor thought, what's the matter looking for me? He used to bother me. As a result, when he asked, there was a problem with his eyes again.

I tell you all, people who have experienced God's power and then forsake Him, perhaps they do not even know what it means to forsake God. It means having no hope of eternal life, still clinging to the things of this world. When they come back, it is almost beyond remedy. After repeated confirmations, I made a decision. What decision? When they come back, do not pray for them anymore. Prayer is useless. I have tried praying for ten hours, twenty hours, non-stop, but it is useless! Why? Because those who have experienced God's power must learn to revere Him.

God heals you and sets you free, not so that you can gain other things, but so that you can gain eternal life. If people have no appetite for eternal life, that is the greatest shame to God. If you wish, you can go find other masters to pray for you. I say this with some weight, but that is the truth. Where were you earlier? Why, after experiencing God's power, can you still not tear down the worldly things within us?

Living in this world is but vanity, nothing more, meaningless. But if you live a life full of zest, I feel it is unfair to me. You come to me when your eyes are about to go blind, and when you can see, you kick me aside. Now that your eyes have problems again, you come back to me. You do not seek me when you are happy, but only when you are in trouble. Is my profession a bit tragic? People are too lazy to bother with me when they are happy, and they only seek me when they have problems. Can we, with the same vision, the same mission, the same Mingding, build God's glorious church together? That would be wonderful.

God saves us, not just our eyes, our legs, our brains, our behinds, our stomachs, but He saves us from this mortal life. Eternal life is salvation. If we can give up this life, what is sown in this life will reap eternal life. Are you willing to labor in this life for eternal life? Good, that is the background of this passage.

This is the Hour for Jesus to be Glorified

Do you know what Jesus is saying? The hour for Jesus to be glorified is when Jesus will offer up His life, be nailed to the cross, without reservation. Jesus is actually setting an example for us, which is to give up our lives, our flesh. He is the Word made flesh, and when people come to see Him, He says this is the hour for me to be glorified. Can you drink the cup I drink? You cannot, but you must also drink it, and you must also walk the path I walk. Do you understand?

So Jesus is talking about this: I am going to the cross, I am going to be glorified, not die miserably. I lament that some people are particularly eager to live. Later I said, you are thirty-nine this year, about to die, but Jesus died at thirty-three. Oh, then I have lived a few years longer than Jesus. You see, you hear these words, still the logic of living a few years more or a few years less. My heart grieves, why do people love to live so much? Why do people still love to live so much even when they have cancer? When I minister, I always have a knot in my heart, why? What kind of brain is this?

Pay the price of life. People, for their own selfishness, pampering the flesh, loving the world, living into cancer, living into pain, living into all kinds of inflammation, having suffered so many blows, can they not sort out, summarize, and deduce? After sorting it out, what do they say? I have lived a few years longer than Jesus. You talk about this brain! Jesus being glorified is planting this corruptible body, and then gaining the incorruptible, paying the price of life. You ask me why I am so willing to pay the price of life? I hate the things of the world, I do not like to live. These injustices in the world, you see some smart people living miserably, and stupid people living well, it is upsetting to watch. Disasters constantly, today someone falls into the water, someone jumps off a bridge, a couple quarrels, all kinds of things. Later I discovered, what is the point? There is no point.

So today, brothers and sisters, what should we begin to hope for? Hope for that moment when you are glorified to come, when you completely nail your flesh to the cross. Let us prepare for the days we have in this world, we were originally here for this! He said, "Father, save me from this hour?" Actually, if you read the English, is it Father, save me from this hour? No, it is not! I came for this, I do not need to be saved from this hour. I do not want to cling to life and fear death, I came for this, I live for this, and I die for this, this is the hour for me to be glorified.

If everyone has this resolve, you are like Jesus. To this day, I tell you, businessmen will never understand this logic, because businessmen think with the logic of making money. But priests use the logic of earning God's glory. Thinking only of money, you are a businessman, and you may also be a great businessman. But what is the point? What are you doing? Doing nothing, just waiting to die!

What is Sown is This Life, What is Reaped is Eternal Life.

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it will not produce many seeds. That is to say, this grain of wheat is sown into the ground, my flesh is sown into the ground and dies, and it will produce many seeds. What is Jesus talking about? What is sown is this life, what is reaped is eternal life. This life is not for making money, this life is for earning eternal life. Can everyone understand? I come into this world, I must plant my life in the kingdom of God, die, rot, blossom, and bear many seeds.

Let us all have this resolve: what is sown is this life, what is reaped is eternal life. So the Apostle Paul inherited the teachings of Jesus Christ. What did he say? He said:

Now I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)

What is victory? I plant my life in the kingdom of God, I have forsaken everything for Jesus Christ, for the kingdom of God. I will give up my life, not give up my money. This is victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. What is through? It is walking His path. The hour to be glorified has come, the hour to offer oneself has come, walk the path of Jesus Christ. If we have this resolve to die if we must, how can we not be victorious? Will you still be afraid of customers? Do you still care about your projects? Do you still care about these trivial matters? It is because we have seen the glory of Jesus Christ, we have already seen the beauty of eternal life in our dreams, in our visions. So when we look at the things of this world again, they are so rotten, a broken place, meaningless. Just exchange this corruptible for an incorruptible.

If you are not smart, can you make such a decision? Some people, the doctor tells them that spending two hundred thousand can extend their life by six months, do you want it? Some people say that if you get an organ transplant, you can live to one hundred and fifty years old, fifty years longer, do you want it? Fifty years, how much money? Ten million. Then I ask you, what about living ten thousand years longer? What about living forever? No amount of money can buy it. Thank God. The curse is so deep, and they still love to live so much, they cannot be healed. What is corruptible is sown, and what is gained is incorruptible; what is mortal is sown, and what is gained is immortal. Wonderful! This is thanking God for giving us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. You must have this resolve! If you do not have this resolve, and you love yourself all day long, you will not gain glory.

Whoever Loves Their Life Will Lose It

You just refuse to sow, you just refuse to labor for Jesus, for eternal life, you just refuse to pay the price for eternal life. If so, whoever loves their life will lose it. I am a person who is not very considerate of the flesh. When I work, some people say their knees hurt, and I say keep working even if your knees hurt. It will get better as you work. Why does it hurt? Because you work too little, you do not work enough. Later I discovered, nothing is wrong.
Some health experts are particularly fond of taking care of themselves. What is the result? The more they love themselves, the faster they die! Have you noticed this pattern? Brothers and sisters, you will know if you just observe more. I have a good brother, a good friend, their leader in the unit especially likes to maintain his health, exercise, run, and have blood transfusions, almost to the point of having organ transplants. He may not have the ability to have organ transplants yet. And he eats health supplements. Before he retired, before he turned sixty, he suddenly died one day! Why? Pampering the flesh, whoever loves their life will lose it. So the more you love yourself, the earlier you die! Not only do you not have eternal life, but you also die early!

Many experts, health experts, do not live past fifty, why? Because what they are conveying is loving their own lives, and the saying that whoever loves their life will lose it will definitely be fulfilled in many people. I have a friend, a ball player, he also plays ball, and he especially likes to maintain his health. He brings a lot of health supplements and fruits when he comes to play ball, and he died at fifty. Loving one's life means refusing to sow! If a person has no hope of eternal life, and only has hope in this life, the hope of this life will also turn into bubbles. The longer you live, the more sins you suffer; the shorter you live, the fewer sins you suffer. Loving yourself is the end!

Whoever Hates Their Life in This World Will Keep It for Eternal Life

I tell you, it is all a matter of a single thought. What is this thought? Do you hate or love this world? If you love the things of this world, I tell you, loving to the point of tragedy is typical, you will definitely love to the point of tragedy! Today I have told many short stories, they are right around you, observe them carefully. What is the point of living? If you work as a nurse or doctor in a tumor hospital, you will be even more able to draw this conclusion: whoever hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Because we have no hope in this world, and if we have a little hope in this world, it is just an urn. So we do not think that one hundred years old, one hundred and twenty years old, one hundred and fifty years old is a good thing, we think eternal life is better. You just look at the things of this world and you do not like them, you cannot stand them! These things on earth, what is there to like? I cannot stand them, I only like eternal life. I only like the Lord Jesus, so I keep my life for eternal life.

Where I Am, My Servant Also Will Be

These words are particularly good. If anyone serves me, that is, labors for eternal life, let him follow me, follow Jesus to this hour of glory. Follow me, where I am, my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, my Father will honor him. Are you willing to serve our God? Serve our Lord Jesus? If you are willing, you are blessed!

So, walk towards the path of Jesus. In our church, what is service? Service is grace, not a disadvantage. We are laboring for eternal life, planting everything we have in this life in the kingdom of God, and gaining eternal life. Having said so much, I hope that brothers and sisters can understand. However, it does not matter, ponder it slowly, observe, and understand. I just hope that everyone does not go down the wrong path in this world and suffer many sins, which will be without glory. Amen!

May God bless everyone!
```