One Heartbeat Away | Levi Lusko | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

One Heartbeat Away

Fresh Life Church • Jan 27, 2025 • 56 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this sermon, Pastor Levi Lusko addresses the certainty of death and how believers can wisely prepare to stand before God. Because Jesus took the full sting of death on the cross, believers face only its shadow, freeing them to live with eternal clarity rather than fear. By evaluating our lives through five essential tests—responsibility, clarity, simplicity, integrity, and legacy—we can honor God with our stewardship and prepare well for our homegoing.

Themes

Eternity and MortalityBiblical StewardshipEstate Planning and ClaritySimplicity and Minimizing DistractionsThe Judgment Seat of ChristEternal Legacy

Pastor's Points

1.

1. The Test of Responsibility: Has everything that has been entrusted to me been managed well?

2.

2. The Test of Clarity: What unnecessary confusion will there be after my last breath?

3.

3. The Test of Simplicity: How can I cut away clutter and keep the main thing the main thing in my life?

4.

4. The Test of Integrity: What in my life will I not be proud of on Judgment Day?

5.

5. The Test of Legacy: Is my death going to have ripple effects that will go on from everlasting to everlasting?

Key Points

1.
Every person lives under an unseen appointment with death, making it essential to walk closely with God who knows our exact number of days.
2.
Jesus defeated the substance and sting of death through His resurrection, meaning believers only face the "shadow of death."
3.
While few people become President, every single person is only one heartbeat away from standing before the throne of Almighty God.
4.
The Test of Responsibility asks whether we are faithfully managing what God has uniquely entrusted to us rather than comparing ourselves to others.
5.
Ownership is an illusion; as believers, we are doubly owned by God because He created us and redeemed us at the cross.
6.
The Test of Clarity challenges us to eliminate unnecessary confusion for loved ones through proactive, responsible estate planning.
7.
The Test of Simplicity requires cutting away clutter and unnecessary weights so we can run our spiritual race without distraction.

Sermon Moments

“Though we cannot see it, there is an invisible hourglass suspended above each of our heads, and only God knows the exact number of our appointed days.”

“Jesus took the full substance and hit of death head-on, leaving believers to only cross through its harmless shadow.”

“We are not our own; as Christians, we are doubly God's property because He both created us and purchased us at the cross.”

“Hell can be defined as truth seen too late.”

“Weights in life are not necessarily sins; they are often good things that simply slow down our forward progress and keep us from running light.”

“At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the purity of our motives and works will be tested by fire to determine eternal rewards.”

“For the believer in Jesus, death is not leaving home—it is finally going home.”

This Week

Complete or update your estate planning (such as writing a will or trust) so your loved ones face clarity rather than unnecessary confusion.

Audit your daily life to remove non-essential "weights" and physical clutter that distract you from prioritizing God's Kingdom.

Practice faithful stewardship by recognizing that your money, time, and physical breath belong entirely to God.

Reflect on your daily motives to ensure your spiritual service is built on gold and silver rather than wood, hay, and stubble.

Pray Psalm 139:23-24 asking God to search your heart and reveal any unconfessed sin before standing at Christ's judgment seat.

Designate intentional, sentimental gifts or legacy resources to encourage faith in your children and future generations.

Share the gospel with a loved one or neighbor this week, remembering that winning souls creates an eternal legacy.

Remember This

Because every person is only one heartbeat away from eternity, true wisdom requires evaluating our responsibility, clarity, simplicity, integrity, and legacy before God.

A Challenge for You

Beloved in Christ, death is not leaving home—it's going home. So plan wisely on your way home.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.