A Game Plan For Eternal Life
Sermon Summary : A Game Plan For Eternal Life
Bro. Joshua Chong | 30 November 2025 | 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
The classic board game The Game of Life — first created in 1860 by Milton Bradley and later acquired by Hasbro. The original version sits in the National Museum and the National Toy Hall of Fame. Its premise: journey through life and retire with as many assets as possible. You begin at birth, choose education or not, get married, change careers, pick up dependents, experience setbacks, spin the wheel, and react to whatever life hands you.
This shows how the world often views “life” — accumulate as much as possible, enjoy as much as possible, and hopefully end well.
We too are all playing a “game of life” — not a toy version, but the real one God designed. Every human being shares the same universal structure:
Birth – all of us had a starting point.
Life – all of us have a limited span on earth, short or long.
Death – all of us will end our earthly existence.
Eternity – the only controversial point in the world, yet affirmed by Scripture.
As Christians, we look not to human philosophy but to the Scriptures, where God reveals the truth about life and eternity.
Life Is Appointed, Death Is Certain, Judgment Is Real
Hebrews 9:27–28
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
Every person will experience physical death — comfortable or not, it is a fact. The unbeliever must grapple with judgment; the believer must remember that Christ has already paid the price and its sufficient. The blood of Christ is sufficient, and salvation is our hope apart from sin. Between birth and death, every human must give account for the life they lived.
How Are You Playing the Game of Life?
You are playing the game whether you realise it or not.
You already have values and rules you live by — consciously or subconsciously.
These shape your desires, choices, priorities, and worldview.
Everyone has an end goal: pleasure, comfort, success, helping the community, saving the environment, family stability, peace, recognition — big or small. Our attention, time, and money naturally flow toward what we treat as our goal.
Life is:
Short
Unpredictable
Difficult
Unfair
People lose businesses, relationships break, friends betray, governments falter, sickness strikes, evil prospers — and the world feels lopsided. Thomas Hobbes once wrote that without order, life is “solitary, poor, brutish, and short.”
Job 14:1
“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.”
And Jesus Himself declared:
Matthew 5:45
“…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
In other words: you are not exempt from life’s hardships. Nothing makes you inherently more deserving than anyone else. “Why me?” really has another answer: “Why not you?”
An infographic showing all the days of a 90-year lifespan condensed into a single A4 sheet — a sober reminder of how short life truly is.
The reason many people, including Christians, feel frustrated is because they treat this life as the final destination, not the preparation for what truly matters or it being a means to an end.
Life Is a Test and a Training Ground for Eternity
Scripture repeatedly clarifies that trials, injustice, suffering, and hardship exist because life on earth is not the goal, but a preparation.
1 Peter 4:12–13 – Do not be surprised by fiery trials; they refine us.
Matthew 5:11–12 – Blessed are you when persecuted; great is your reward in heaven.
We must not mistake the rules of the game, or confuse ourselves about the game we’re truly playing.
Playing chess with the rules of checkers will only frustrate us — the pieces don’t move the same way, and yet we wonder why things aren’t working, why we’re “suffering” for so long. The truth is, we were playing the game with the wrong rules.
Similarly, running a marathon with the mindset of a 5km race will leave us drained and confused. The training is different, the pace is different, the preparation is different. To run well — and to win — we must first understand the nature of the race we are actually in.
We must understand what God designed life to be.
Romans 2:4–11
There is no partiality with God. No special treatment for the wealthy, privileged, educated, or influential. No extra suffering for the poor. God judges all with fairness, without bias.
And so:
Life by design is:
A transition period
A test phase for eternity
A training ground
A temporary assignment
A spiritual race
2 Corinthians 4:17–18
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…”
Matthew 6:19–20
Lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth.
If we believe that life on earth is the final destination, we will live in constant frustration. But when we see life through God’s design — temporary, purposeful, refining — everything changes.
So why does life often feel so miserable?
Because it was never designed to be perfect. In His very first sermon, Christ told His followers that they would share the same experiences as the prophets before them — the trials, the opposition, the suffering. “Blessed are you…” He said — not because life would be easy, but because your reward would be great in heaven. If we do not understand the purpose of the game, we will inevitably be frustrated by it.
To live well, we must understand God’s plan for this world — the overarching story He is writing. We need to know what the “game” truly is, and we need to ask the One who designed it, the One who set its rules and its purpose. Only He can clarify what this life is meant to accomplish.
And we must remember: what happens here is not what happens next. This present life is not the final chapter but the preparation for eternity. When we see it through that lens, everything makes sense.
Running the Race With Intentionality
James 1:2–4 – Trials produce patience and maturity.
1 Corinthians 9:24–27 – Run to win; discipline yourself; keep your body under control.
Like athletes:
Training is hard.
Friends enjoy free time they don’t have.
Others eat what they cannot.
There is fatigue, discipline, focus, sacrifice.
The Christian life is not a casual walk; it is a focused race, requiring strategy and perseverance.
Four Sources of Strength & Direction
To successfully run the spiritual race, there are four essential resources God has given us.
A. Scripture – Our Guidebook
2 Timothy 3:16–17
All Scripture equips us for every good work.
Matthew 4:4
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
God has given us daily spiritual sustenance — free and abundant.
B. Our Leader – Jesus Christ
Our example, our focus, our redeemer.
Hebrews 12:1–2 – Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Hebrews 4:15–16 – Christ sympathises with our weaknesses.
Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death; the gift of God is eternal life.
John 16:33 – In this world you will have tribulation, but Christ has overcome.
1 Peter 1:18–19 – We are redeemed not with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ.
Christ did not promise ease; He promised victory through Him. Our salvation cannot be bought, sold, or taken away.
C. Our Community – The Church
Hebrews 10:24 – Stir up love and good works.
John 13:34–35 – Love one another as Christ loved us; this identifies us as His disciples.
This love is sacrificial, costly, practical — not just sentimental.
We encourage, uphold, correct, and stand with one another because we are not meant to live or suffer alone.
D. God Himself – Our Source of Strength
Philippians 4:6–7 – Prayer gives peace beyond understanding.
2 Timothy 1:7 – God gives power, love, and a sound mind.
Isaiah 40:31 – Those who wait on the Lord renew their strength.
Isaiah 41:10 – God upholds us with His righteous right hand.
Unlike earthly justice systems that favour the connected or powerful, every believer has direct access to God.
He desires us to win — He has prepared a way of escape, a defence in Christ, and the strength to endure.
Recalibrate : Keep Eternity in View
Life is temporary.
Pain is temporary.
Struggle is temporary.
Even our bodies are temporary.
But eternity is not.
Hebrews 9:27–28
We live once, we die once, and then comes judgment — but Christ comes again for our salvation.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18
Our outward man perishes, but our inward man is renewed.
Our afflictions are momentary compared to eternal glory.
Recalibrate your mind.
Not toward the next car, house, upgrade, or achievement — but toward God.
Eyes on the Prize
2 Timothy 4:7–8
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness…”
Worldly achievements are not wrong — but they are not the prize.
The real reward is eternal.
Salvation is freely offered to all who:
Hear
Believe
Repent
Confess
Are baptised
Live faithfully
This is the Christian “game plan” for eternal life.
Closing Reflection
Life is hard, short, unpredictable, and unfair — but it is also purposeful, God-designed, and eternally consequential.
Every trial you endure, every choice you make, every value you live by is shaping your eternity.
The question is not whether you are playing the game of life.
The real question is: Are you playing it with eternity in mind?
May we run with focus, endure with faith, love with sincerity, and fix our eyes on the eternal prize that Christ has prepared for us.
