January 21, 2024                        NOTES NOT EDITED

The Big Show

Revelation 19:1-10; 1Thess. 4:13-18

 SIS—The “Biggest Show” in history takes place when the Lord gathers His people to be with Him for eternity and it could happen at any moment—are you ready?

 In this sermon I am using the metaphor of the “Big Show” to include the entire process from the Rapture, through the tribulation and millennium and continuing into eternity.  My emphasis is not upon the chronology of the End Times as much, but upon the unimaginable, inexplicable, incredible glory and blessing of being with Jesus forever.  Join me as we read about this “Big Show.”

 Revelation 19:6–9 (NIV84)

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

 1.  There is an INVITATION to receive (v. 9; 1Thess. 4:13-18)

 ⁹ Then he  said to me,  “Write: Those invited to the marriage feast  of the Lamb are fortunate!”

 I’m sure that most of you have received an invitation to attend a wedding.  These are usually very formal and exquisite communications with pretty standard language. But, there are always those that want their invitation to be, well . . . , “special.”  Take Alison and Isaac’s special invitation that read:  “At our wedding we promise you won’t ever forget the parts that you remember!” Sometimes, the job of sending out wedding invitations falls upon the Mother of the Groom.  After reading the following wedding invitation, you might want to rethink who’s in charge:  “You are regretfully invited to the wedding between my perfect son, The Doctor, and some Cheap, Two-bit Tramp, whose name escapes me right now.”  I sense a bit of tension at that wedding. 

Weddings involve invitations and the Wedding Supper of the Lamb is no different.  Let us read again what John records about this Special Wedding Super:

 ⁹ Then he  said to me,  “Write: Those invited to the marriage feast  of the Lamb are fortunate!”

 This special, heavenly celebration is “By Invitation Only.”  There is something happening today in our nation that illustrates the meaning of “By Invitation Only.” That “something” is the crisis at our Southern (and less talked about, Northern) border. The border is wide open and might as well have a sign saying, “No Invitation Necessary.”

Now, I preached a while ago about the Bible’s teaching concerning the validity and morality of national borders. So, if God says borders are important and morally justified, that settles it. Entry into a country is ”By Invitation Only,” according to the Bible.

 Would it shock you, then, if I said the Democrat Party policy on borders follows the Devil’s plan, not God? There are, in fact, many things in the Democrat platform and policies right out of the Devil’s handbook. The policy on borders is one. The policy on abortion is another. This is not a “political” statement—it is a statement of fact. A fact that points to a grave error in our policy, and at the same time, highlights the importance of God’s Invitation to Heaven.

As one political ad points out: “Hell has open boarders—Heaven is a gated community.”

 One cannot pay for a ticket.  One cannot sneak in the back way.  One cannot “come because they had friends who were invited.”  Every one must have a “PERSONAL INVITATION from the Lord, the Groom, Himself.” 

 Well, when does one receive that invitation?  I’ll speak to that in just a moment, but first, let me show you how someone gets on the “Guest List” for this banquet.  Turn over to Revelation 20:12.  Here we have the mention of “God’s Books,” including “The Book of Life,” which is God’s guest list for the “Wedding Supper of the Lamb.”  Revelation 20:12 (NIV84)

 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

 Now, by the time we get to Revelation 20:12, no more names are being added to that Book.  Nobody else is going to get into heaven at this time or ever again.  This Book of Life will eventually contain all the names of every person ever saved:  all the O.T. saints, all the N.T. saints before the rapture, all those saved through tribulation and all those saved during the millennium.  It is “Heaven’s Guest List” and nobody gets to heaven unless his or her name has been recorded in it.  Some get in the Book sooner.  Some get in later.  Every one God has elected to save WILL get in this Book, or on Heaven’s Guest List.

 First, let me explain “how” a person gets on that List.  Romans 8:14-16 describes the only way a person gets on this List. Verse 11 is the conclusion of that process of HOW we get on the Guest List:

  ¹¹ And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead  lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through  His Spirit who lives in you.

Ephesians 1:13 (NIV84) 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

 The Book of Life records every name of every person who has ever, or will ever, turn from their sins, accept the free gift of salvation offered to all when Jesus died on the cross.  At this moment of repentance, God seals a person’s soul with the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and records their name in the Book of Life—the Guest List for Heaven.

Second, let me explain “WHEN” this Invitation to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb will be formally delivered.  Turn to 1Thess. 4:13-18:

 ¹³ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.  ¹⁴ Since we believe that Jesus died and rose  again,  in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through  Jesus.  ¹⁵ For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord:  ^o We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming  will certainly have no advantage over  those who have fallen asleep.  ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,  ^t with the archangel’s  voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ  will rise first. ¹⁷ Then  we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds  to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage  one another with these words.

This describes what has become known as, “the Rapture.”  Every Bible-believing Christian believes in the “rapture,” or the “Second Coming.”  True believers do NOT deny the rapture; they only disagree on “when” it takes place.  Some believe it takes place “after” the Great Tribulation.  Some believe it takes place “before” the Great Tribulation.  Some believe it takes place at some point during the Tribulation.  Others believe it takes place after the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth, or the millennium.  Some simply admit they have no idea, but are ready as if it could be any minute.  Some . . . just don’t care.

 Let me show you why the “rapture” described here in Thessalonians takes place “before” the Great Tribulation, and could take place at any time.  There are some who make no distinction between the “Rapture” and the “Second Coming.”  Some scholars deny the teaching of the “Rapture” as a “Secret Coming.”  Let me dispel that myth.  The Rapture will certainly be no “secret.”  First, God has openly declared it, here in this text and other places.  Second, the removal of millions of people will not escape notice.  Without a doubt, the world will be fully aware the Church is missing.  Many scoffers who heard preaching about the Rapture will know it has happened.  Many will repent.

Now, here are five reasons why the “Rapture” will be the formal deliverance of God’s Invitation to Marriage Supper of the Lamb—before the Tribulation.  There are more evidences for a pretribulational rapture, but time permits mentioning only a few.

 1.  Christ comes “in the air,” not to the earth.  At the Second Coming Jesus sets foot on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4) to inaugurate the millennium, after the tribulation, not before as in 1Thess. 4. 

2.  At the Rapture, Jesus comes “for” His saints. 1Thess. 4:17 says we are “snatched away, caught up, or raptured” (harpazō).  At the Second Coming, Jesus comes “with” the saints (Rev. 19:14).  The “Rapture” precedes the tribulation (see 1Thess. 5).  The Second Coming is followed by the Millennium (see Rev. 20:1-3). 

3.  The “raptured” are saved from God’s “hour of wrath” (1Thess. 5:9; Rev. 3:10) (shorter period than the “day” of the Lord, 1Thess. 5).  Those left behind feel the full force of God’s wrath.  For the Church to endure the Great Tribulation would be like Christ beating up His Bride before the Wedding Feast.

 4.  Before the Anti-Christ can be revealed a “restrainer must be removed” (2Thess. 2:6-7).  This refers to the Holy Spirit who empowers the Church by indwelling believers.  The Holy Spirit, as God is omnipotent, so this cannot refer to the Holy Spirit, but must refer to His empowering—hence, restraining—work through the Church.

5.  Here’s what I feel is the most important evidence for a “pretribulation rapture”:  it could happen at any time (imminence) without any further prophecies being fulfilled or signs being given.  The Rapture, which initiates the “Day of the Lord,” or the “Seven Years of Tribulation” (1Thess. 5:1-3) will come as a “thief in the night” (5:2).  When was the last time you received a notice from a “thief” that he would be robbing your house on a given day at a given time?  The “Rapture” could happen at any time without any further signs (see Lk. 21:11-28).  The Second Coming comes at the end of the “70^th Week” of Daniel, which represents seven years of tribulation (Dan. 9:20ff).  The Church since Pentecost has always held a belief in the “imminent” (anytime) coming of the Lord (Titus 2:13).  We know that Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Mark, and especially Revelation, among others, teach that certain signs must be fulfilled before the Second Coming.  Therefore, without a rapture, prophesies and signs must be ignored, or spiritualized.

 I could give you more evidence that shows the “rapture” comes before the Great Tribulation, but my main point of this sermon, is:  don’t miss the invitation.  Even if you disagree with my timing of the “Rapture” or “Great Snatching Away,” or “Blessed Hope,” or whatever else you want to call it—DON’T MISS IT!  Accept God’s invitation of grace and get your name on the Guest List for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.  I would like to add, however, that the “Wedding Feast” in chapter 19 precedes the record of Christ’s coming in Chapter 20.  We had to get there somehow.

 Following our theme of “The Big Idea,” which we know will be accompanied by “Big Challenges,” and likely some “Big Failures,” I am referring to entering heaven as the “Big Show.”  This is where God provides an eternal banquet, or party for all eternity.  Notice in 1Thess. 4:17:  “and so we will always be with the Lord.”  The Rapture gets the party started, and God’s grace keeps it going for all eternity!  There’s an “invitation to receive,” but

 2.  There is also, a CELEBRATION to enjoy

To be quite blunt and honest with you, I don’t think most church goers are excited about going to heaven—not if you judge by the enthusiasm they show for the things of God on earth.

Oh folks, human language does not have the power to even give a glimpse of the glory and bliss of heaven.  I’ve tried over the years to describe heaven, especially at funerals, but I always feel I miss the mark by a mile.  No human (save Paul, 1Cor. ***) has ever gone to heaven and returned with pictures describing its beauty.  The best I can do is tell you how a “cat” described heaven. 

 A cat dies and goes to heaven.  God meets him at the gate and says, 'You have been a good cat all these years. You can have anything you desire, all you have to do is ask.' Well,' said the cat, 'I lived all my life on a farm and had to sleep on hardwood floors.' 'Say no more,' says God and instantly a fluffy pillow appears.  A few days later, six mice are killed in a tragic accident and they go to heaven. God meets them at the gate with the same offer he made to the cat. 'All our life,' the mice say, 'we've had to run. Cats, dogs, women with brooms have chased us. If we had roller skates, we wouldn't have to run any more.  'God says he can take care of it and, instantly, each mouse is fitted with a beautiful pair of tiny roller skates.  A week later God checks on the cat, which is asleep on its pillow. God gently nudges him awake and asks, 'How are you doing? Are you happy here?' 'Never been happier,' says the cat, stretching and yawning. 'And those meals on wheels you've been sending over are great.'

That’s a bad joke, but a bold truth—“heaven will exceed your wildest, grandest, most glorious expecations!” 

What exactly will one miss if they do not believe and are not “caught up” at the rapture?  Let me first tell you what people “will not” miss who miss the rapture—they will not miss the Great Tribulation.  They will not miss the rise of the Antichrist.  They will not miss the requirement to take the mark of the beast or risk starvation.  They will not miss Global War and Global catastrophes.  They will not miss the cataclysmic changes in the cosmos like the moon turning to blood.  They will not miss the death and disaster from world-wide disease, floods, famines, pestilences of all kind.  Those who miss the “rapture” land squarely in seven years of the most calamitous and horrible years on earth!

Human language failed John as he tried to describe the “celebration we will enjoy” at the Wedding Feast.  He saw with his eyes sights his lips could not describe.  In Rev. 19, John lacked a sufficient vocabulary to describe heaven so he used the same word four times:

V1:  Hallelujah!  Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God . . .

V3:  Hallelujah!  Her smoke ascends forever and ever! (Speaking of
        The Harlot (Evil in all its forms) defeated in chapters 17-18).

V4:  Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!

V 6:  Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign!

One Bible scholar calls this the “Hallelujah Chorus” of the Bible.  We all know the power and majesty of the Hallelujah Chorus in Handel’s Messiah.  Here’s the inspiration for that.  It is hard for us as humans to get a grip on this heavenly seen—or more correctly, let this heavenly seen get a grip on us. 

Another N.T. scholar describes this “celebration” in these words:  In 18:20 the heavens and the saints are told to rejoice at God’s judgment of Babylon the Great. That call to celebration is now expanded into a series of “hallelujah” choruses . . . . Only here in the NT does the word Ἁλληλουϊά (Hallēlouia, Hallelujah = praise Yahweh) occur, and it governs 19:1–8. Yet this section, while a single whole, functions both to conclude the major section of the destruction of Babylon the Great (19:1–5) and to introduce the section on Jesus’ return (19:6–8).  Baker Exegetical Commentary.

The point of the “Four-fold Hallelujahs” seem clear to me:  the glorious celebration of the raptured saints is to spectacular to describe by any word but “Hallelujah!”—and that spoken over and over again by saints drunken on the ecstasy of grace! 

As we think of “the celebration we will enjoy” at the “Big Show,” let me go back and pick up on how Paul concludes his teaching on the rapture.  In verses 17 and 18 Paul declares:  and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage  one another with these words.

For the most part, people do not think much about heaven, until a loved one dies.  At that time, the open wounds of grief long for the soothing balm of hope.  Despair cries out for understanding.  When death pushes us down in distress, our eyes look up to heaven, the new home for our loved ones.  We do ourselves a great disservice as believers if we only think of heaven as a solution to death.  It is much, much, much more than that.  Yet, we cannot explain heaven or what it means to truly celebrate.  All we can do is “imagine.”

Dear friends, what a celebration there is going to be when we get to heaven.  Maybe it is a bit, “sacrilegious” to refer to God’s glorious heaven as the “Big Show,” or maybe not.  Whatever you call it—don’t miss it!  There’s an invitation to receive and a celebration to enjoy.

Hope to see ‘ya there.

 

January 14, 2024   NOTES NOT EDITED

Don’t Waste Your Life

Ecclesiates 12:1-8

SIS – Make your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ the number one priority in your life so that you will not waste your life on that which is meaningless and empty.

We Americans love do-overs --options, choices, second chances. Our culture has tried to erase the concept of FAILURE by adding the “Infamous Participation Trophy” to sports. Even the referees’ judgments don’t always stand because football coaches have red flags and extra officials are assigned to video replay every call.  Typewriters and white-out have been replaced by the UNDO arrow on the Edit drop-down menu. Life has no inconvenient consequences to our actions—or, at least we’d like to think so.

But, is there nothing in our existence that is “irrevocable?”  Is there anything in which there are very real consequences?  I think there is such a thing:  it is called, “life.”  We do not get a “do-over” if the path we choose in life does not turn out like we hope.  Time, like tootpaste, can’t be put back.  A bullet cannot be “unshot” once it leaves a gun.  Even for believers, there is always the danger of a “wasted life.”  Thank God a wasted life does not have to mean a “wasted eternity,” but a wasted life is painful, nonetheless.

We can avoid wasting our lives by starting today to live each moment in absolute surrender to Almighty God.  We can avoid wasting our lives by bringing every desire and every decision into complete captivity to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  The best time to do this is in our youth – though anytime is the right time to make a decision to redirect one’s life and avoid a life of regrets.

The Book of Ecclesiastes is considered by some to be the most “negative” book in the Bible.  It is not a “negative” book at all, but a painfully honest book.  Solomon, has come to the end of his life after a glorious career as one of the most significant kings in Israel – second only to King David, his father.

But, Solomon with all his fame and fortune was not without regret.  He had made many mistakes and had wandered some great distance from God’s intended purpose for his life.  Solomon had sought meaning in wisdom, in pleasures, and in accomplishments – all of which he had in great abundance.  His final evaluation of these ‘worldly things” is summed up in the phrase, “meaningless, meaningless” which is repeated about 34 times.

In this final chapter, this great man in his final days, gives a final plea to all who would come after: “Don’t Waste Your Life.”  In a three-part poem Solomon exhorts each of us to “be careful how we live.”  Today, I want to emphasize this message to our youth, but I want each of us to take thought of our ways in light of Solomon’s three part exhortation on how NOT to waste one’s life.

Part 1 begins with the plea to REMEMBER THE CREATOR especially when you are young (1)

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say,“I find no pleasure in them” 

One man, visiting a psychiatrist, complained, "Doctor, I can't seem to remember from one minute to the next." "And how long have you had this problem?" the psychiatrist asked.  The man replied, "What problem?"

Memory fades the longer we live. But, the word “remember” refers to something more than just being able to recall facts. It is a word that calls for reflection on the importance of an issue or event, not just the recollection of it. It is more of a “call to action than a call to remembrance. 

For example, when a teacher says,  “remember there will be a test on Friday,” it is not just to mark Friday as a special day, but to encourage the students to “take some action – that is, to study.”

One scholar describes “remember” like this:  “Over 200 instances of this verb can be found in the Hebrew Bible. In a majority of cases, the act denoted by this verb is more than recollection. In most instances, the act of “remembrance” is an act of covenantal or legal obligation, which leads to a present act.”

The command to “remember” is a warning.  To “remember the Creator” is a call to examine how one is living one’s life.  Such a remembrance is a call to recognize Who God is:  the Creator.  As the Creator, He has complete and sovereign control of our lives.  As the Creator, He has given us clear commands as to how we should live our lives.  As the Creator, He has given us a clear warning of impending judgment.

It is very frustrating to forget names, birthdates, or why you got up and went to the other room.  Memory loss is a big problem all of us face as we grow older.

Solomon begins with the word, “remember.” It is the key to understanding the 12^th chapter, and the theme of the Book of Ecclesiastes. It is even more broadly a key to understanding why we have the entire Bible. It is not so that we would KNOW HISTORY but that we would KNOW GOD.  “Remembering” is about having a relationship not recalling facts.  Solomon tells us “WHO to remember,” and “WHEN” to remember.  We are to remember God, the Creator, and we are to remember Him starting in our youth and continuing all our days. Verse 1 could be interpreted, “Focus intently upon Your Creator beginning in your youth and continuing all your days.”

Part one of this poem is a ‘warning’ that God is the Creator and we as creatures have a responsibility to live in a way that pleases Him.  We should not waste one moment of our lives living in a way that does not please God, our Sovereign Creator. 

Part 1 begins with a warning about to Whom we should devote our every waking moment of life.  

2.  PART 2 is a REASSESSMENT which naturally follows “REMEMBERING” our duty and devotion to Our Creator. What happens when we ALL realize, we haven’t “REMEMBERED” God like we should have? We all FALL SHORT. That’s when we need a REASSESSMENT.

To demonstrate the urgency of this REASSESSMENT, Solomon places the diamond of truth on the black backdrop of OLD AGE. This poetic device increases the contrast between what we should be doing and what we did not do. By putting this truth on the dark backdrop of impending old age, the Preacher Solomon drives home the URGENCY OF DAILY DEVOTION TO GOD. 

Life is not like a pond, that can become stagnant with no new water flowing into it. REASSESSMENT allows new water to flow into the pond of our lives.  This is the blessing of a Sabbath Day—a day to reassess, repent, and resolve to do better.

Verses 2 through 7 outline (in a rather unflattering way) what every person has to look forward to “someday.”  This analysis is indeed discouraging if you don’t embrace it as the natural course of life in a sin-shattered world and make adjustments accordingly. This section is like putting the word, REMEMBER, in bold letters. We cannot stand on our past relationship with God. We need to collect the “manna of life” on a daily basis (Exodus 16:4). If we “waste” our yesterdays we put our tomorrows in jeopardy—not in regard to the salvation of our souls—but in regard to the rewards for our devotion.

Here’s How the Preacher Puts the Matter in BOLD PRINT.

V2:  The sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;

Solomon may have in mind the dreary days of the Palestinian winter, as a metaphor of the “winter season of life.”  The writer intends to show that old age is not as wonderful as some may naively believe it to be.  Old Age is a difficult time in life.  I read a bumper sticker once that said, Old Age IS NOT FOR SISSIES.

Just as one dreary day of winter clears, more clouds and rain follow.  Getting old, for most is a great challenge. Don’t WASTE today!

V3a when the keepers of the house tremble,

The “keepers of the house” refer to the hands – which are used to clean, dust, and keep a house.  In regard to the aging process the “trembling” refers to the general unsteadiness of age. For some the shaking is worse than for others, but we all lose a little dexterity with the accumulating years.

V3b “the strong men stoop”

This refers to the legs and back, but particularly the legs.  We get wobbly as the years go on and our ‘strong men’ bend and bow under the weight of many years.

V3c  “the grinders cease because they are few”

Age takes a great toll on the teeth.  Very few people end life with as many teeth as they had as teens, and some end with the same number they were born with – none!  There are less teeth to “grind our food.”

V3d  “and those looking threw the windows grow dim.”

We’ve all heard the statement:  “the eyes are the windows to the soul.”  I don’t know how true that might be but this is absolutely true:  as you get older, your vision gets dimmer. 

We’re not even halfway through the list of challenges associated with Old Age, and I’m depressed!  The only thing that gives me hope against the ravages of growing old is:  I like the alternative even less!

V4a  when the doors to the street are closed

Beyond one’s door lies all the daily activity of people coming and going, doing business, building stuff, and the like.  As we get older, we lose our hearing.  It’s like someone “shuts the door” to the outside world, like all the activity at the grinding mill 

V4b  “men rise up at the sound of birds.”

This is probably a reference to the time of day, not to the creatures themselves.  It probably refers to the fact that as we age, “we have trouble sleeping,” and we seem to awake before the crack of dawn when the first birds begin to sing.  The Preacher hear shows the great irony of aging in this part of the verse.  Even though we wake at the slightest sound in the earliest of the day, because our hearing is not what it once was, we cannot even enjoy the sound of the birds.

An alternative interpretation of “all their songs grow faint” is “the daughters of song fail.”  This may refer to the fact that as we get older our voices get softer, to where our voice becomes little more than a whisper.

V5a  “men are afraid of heights and the dangers of the street”

This probably does not refer to tall buildings, which were few in those days, but refers to the fact that even small hills become like mountains as we age.  The reference to “danger in the streets” is a reminder that as we age, we do not have the physical strength to take on even the simplest of daily tasks – referred to as the “streets.”

V5b:  “the almond tree blossoms.” 

This is a reference to the fact that one’s golden locks turn silver, then white as we age.  Obviously, this is a general statement about aging (as everything in this passage is) because:  for some our hair doesn’t turn white – it turns loose!

V5c:  “the grasshopper drags himself along”

Grasshoppers are common in Palestine are identified by their characteristic back legs that are like two giant springs.  A grasshopper in general (and there are over 11,000 different types) can jump 20 times the length of their body.  This is the equivalent of a man jumping 100 feet!

But, as age piles years upon us, we are like a grasshopper dragging its weak legs behind it.  You might say that as we get older, “we lose the spring in our step.”

V5d  “desire is no longer stirred”

Like many of the phrases in this poem, this one gives scholars a bit of a challenge.  As we age, we are less passionate about things we were once very passionate about – like food.  Age sometimes robs one of his or her desire for food.  Nothing seems to taste good anymore.

An alternative to this interpretation comes from a literal reading of the text:  “the caperberry fails.”  The word for caperberry comes from the root meaning “willingness or satisfaction.”  The caperberry is the fruit of a common, thorny plant in Palestine.  It was thought to increase sexual desire.

When “the caperberry fails” the term “hot date” refers to a weather report, not a night of romance.

To say that the “caperberry has failed” simply refers to the fact that when we get old we realize that we have reached that time when our ‘get up and go dun’ got up and went.”

V5e  Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets.

As we get to the end of verse 5, the writings on the wall as they say. The professional mourners have already been hired as death nears.  By this time in one's journey it is evident to all that death is near.

VV 6,7  Remember him—before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, ⁷and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

The process of aging has come to the end.  Verses 6 and 7 taken together describe the final step in the process as the "breaking of the cord that holds the lamp which gives light to the house."  The lamp hits the floor and the light is extinguished.  Death has arrived as it does for all.

Verse 7 describes what takes place at the moment of death -- there is a "separation."  The physical and the spiritual separate leaving behind the lifeless body like a discarded garment.

All this talk about the process of death is intended to cause us to reflect upon how fleeting life on this earth is for all of us.  Sure, some live longer.  Some live shorter, but no one lives forever in this body.  The grave claims all mortal parts.

Throughout the Bible we are encouraged to be mindful of our mortality.  Psalm 39:4 for example says:

Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. 

The Book of James has something to say about the shortness and frailty of life:  (James 4:14)

What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." 

The point of this PART 2 is not to “moan and groan” about the ISSUES of old age, but to show the INEVITABILITY of old age. It is to “beat the drum of urgency” telling us to make the most of every moment TODAY. To NOT WASTE ANOTHER MINUTE ON ANYTHING THAT IS NOT ETERNAL.

In Part One, Solomon is moved of the Spirit to give us a warning:  “Remember God,” that is MAKE YAHWEH YOUR #1 PRIORITY.

In Part Two, Solomon outlines the ugly, unflattering process of aging so that we would reflect upon the importance of NOT WASTING OUR LIFE IN RIOTOUS, REBELLIOUS LIVING.

3.  Now, we are at Part 3.  REDIRECT your life.

The Poet declares in Verse 8:  “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!” 

This is the theme of Ecclesiastes -- life that is lived without complete and total surrender to God will end up "meaningless and empty."  34 times the Poet of Ecclesiastes uses this term to describe a godless life.

That’s the BAD NEWS. The GOOD NEWS is: it is never too late to REDIRECT your life toward full, unrestrained devotion to God!

We started out with a instruction: “Remember” the Lord when you are young. Many of us in this room are “not-so-young.” To put it bluntly, many of us in this room have long ago wasted the opportunities of youth—some teens are currently wasting that opportunity. Some in this room suffer from the proverbial affliction of age known as, “one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel!”

But, as negative as the Book of Ecclesiastes is—and most feel it has a shadow hanging over it—it is not utterly hopeless. At any point in life any person can “REDIRECT.” Any person can repent and start over. Here’s the beauty of this idea:

“One day in the house of the Lord is better than a thousand elsewhere."

Joel also promises, “I will restore the YEARS the moth has eaten . . .”

And, of course, who can forget the thief on the cross who had wasted all but the last minutes of his life. He repented and God REDIRECTED HIS LIFE. Jesus said,

“Today, you will be with me in Paradise! “

So, let’s all resolve today—the second Sunday of a New Year—I’m going to let the Holy Spirit have complete control of my life and REDIRECT it so I can bring honor and glory to God.

Today. Now. Not tomorrow. Not even this afternoon. NOW! Now is the time of salvation—in fact, no time exists but NOW! Yesterday’s gone, tomorrow on this earth may not come. NOW! Now is the time you can REDIRECT  your life away from meaninglessness to eternal Purpose. NOW.

Today we are particularly focused on our young people, but we can all REDIRECT our lives to put ourselves in better alignment with the will of God for our lives.

Young people:  if you never hear another word I ever say, hear this:  DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE LIVING FOR FUN, FAME OR FORTUNE.  Take thought of God and focus on Him like a laser.

You will be old before you know it.  DON'T WASTE THE PRECIOUS LIFE GOD HAS GIVEN TO YOU.

I pray that everyone here this morning:  especially our young people -- will REDIRECT our lives and place ourselves fully and completely into God's care.  Do it today.  Don't waste another minute.  The AGE CLOCK is ticking.  God may never move upon your heart like He has this morning.

One of the most moving stories I’ve ever read is about the great English missionary to Africa, Dr. David Livingston.  He opened up the Dark Continent with the light of the gospel as he brought the message and medicine to people that had never been touched by the outside world.

But, more remarkable than the adventure that characterized the way Dr. Livingston lived, was the way Dr. Livingston died.  After a long, exciting, challenging, fruitful ministry in Africa, they found Dr. Livingston dead in his hut.  Early on the morning of May 1, 1873, he was found dead, kneeling beside his bed. While doing God’s will, praying alone in a remote African hut, he was lifted up by God’s own hand to enjoy God’s very presence.

That my friends, is a life well-lived without any regrets or without the mournful song, “I shoulda, coulda, woulda.”

REMEMBER. REASSESS.  REDIRECT.

Start today -- right now -- making Jesus Christ the number one priority in your life and you will avoid wasting your time on earth on that which is meaningless and empty. 

If you REMEMBER and OBEY God you will live well and die even better!

 

 January 7, 2024

Get It Right!

Philippians 3:20-4:9                NOTES NOT EDITED

 

SIS: Since we are eternal beings the future is going to last forever and we must Get It Right!

Most of you know that one of my favorite philosophers is a man by the name of Yogi Berra. Yogi Berra was such a deep thinker that he is the man most quoted for things he never said. There’s even a term for Yogi Berra’s philosophical wit. It is called, “Yogisms.”

Most people do not know that Yogi Berra, known for his “Yogi-isms,” was a Hall of Fame catcher for the NY Yankees and later a manager and coach.

"Yogi Berra won three MVP awards (1951, 1954 and 1955), made 15 All-Star game appearances, caught Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series and boasts an unprecedented 10 World Series rings. His career numbers: .285 BA, 2,150 hits, 358 home runs and 1,430 RBI. And, yes, he made it into the Hall of Fame easily in 1972." (copied)

 Yet, as I said, most people know Yogi Berra by his “Yogi-isms.”

 Once Yogi was startled by an experience in life and he remarked:  “It’s like de je vu ALL OVER AGAIN!” Now, if you don’t get that right off the bat it is proof of just how deep—or disturbed—a thinker Yogi Berra really was. Yogi also said, “A person can observe a lot JUST BY WATCHING.” Yogi had a deep sense of loyalty. He once told a young man, “You should always go to the funeral of your friends or when you die they won’t come to yours.” Perhaps Yogi’s most famous “yogi-ism” is: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” There are literally hundreds of “Yogi-isms” repeated often in our culture. Yogi once remarked, “I am often fascinated by how many things people say I said that I never said.” My favorite of all time from Yogi is this:  “When you come to a fork in the road . . . take it!” Life is too short to spend your time stuck in the mud of indecision.

 There is another “yogi-ism” that is ideal as the jumping off point for the first sermon of a New Year. Yogi once pondered the circumstances of life and remarked, “The future sure isn’t what it used to be!”

 If ever there were a relevant “Yogi-ism” for our troubled world today, that is it.

 So, here we are on the cusp of a New Year. 2024 promises us (should Jesus not return or we die) another 364 days—not counting today. What will we do with them?

 I’ve preached at least 45 New Year’s Messages. They always have a theme of hope and of great expectation for some New, Exciting, Fulfilling, or Spectacular happening in the coming year. Over the course of those last 45 plus years, there have been years filled with just that:  things NEW, EXCITING, FULFILLING, and SPECTACULAR!

 But, I must confess, these types of years have not been in the MAJORITY! In more years than not, I’ve failed miserably at my New Year’s Resolutions, and the years have failed miserably in regard to NEWNESS, EXCITEMENT, FULFILLMENT, and SPECTACULAR RESULTS.

 So, what do I do? I’m sure your years have followed a similar pattern. Maybe 2023 was the ALL-TIME, MOST DISAPPOINTING, WORST year of your life! Well, you are certainly not alone. I think I could be the President of That Club!

 So, what do we do? Give up? Climb under a broom tree like the discouraged Prophet Elijah and just give up and wait to die? Well, I say, NO! IN DEFIANCE IS SPIT IN THE FACE OF THE DEVIL AND SAY, 2024 IS THE YEAR I TAKE BACK MY LIFE AND LET GOD GUIDE MY DESTINY!

 Yogi Berra is right, “the future is not what it used to be.” The trail ahead seems dark and uncertain. But, joy and victory are not about the path we must follow but the Person we are walking with. The Lord promises us,

Go into the world and make disciples, . . . . and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

 In order to have a truly “Happy, Prosperous, God-honoring New Year” we only have to get a few things right.

 ❶ We need RIGHT POLITICS (3:20-21)

20 but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body,  by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

This is a PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR. Many say it will be the most defining election year in modern history—and maybe even the entire history of our nation. For many people -- perhaps most of us to some degree -- "politics" is a dirty word, a dirty business.  These last three years in politics have been the dirtiest in my lifetime. There is enough blame for this to go around for all parties.  Modern Politics has become consumed by a lust for power and completely out of touch with morality.  Christians must be engaged in the public square at this time more than any other time in modern history

 The word translated, "citizenship" is the word from which we get our English word, "politics."  The oldest form of the word means a "town, or large fortified territory."  It came to refer to any "city."  Citizenship refers to the common beliefs and practices held by those in a city, or polis, thus the idea of politics. 

 As Christians, our common beliefs and practices should not be dictated by any political party, but should be dictated by Heaven and Her King, Jesus Christ.  At the same time, we should be exemplary citizens of our nation and communities.  We have “dual citizenship.”

 As citizens of heaven, our "new politics" mean:

 ❶ We have new citizenship papers.  Our names are written down on the census of heaven, if we are believers. (Phil. 3:20a, “Heaven”)

❷ We are under new leadership.  “The Lord Jesus Christ” (3:20b) Last January 20^th, 2017, leadership in the White House passed from the House passed from Obama to Trump.  The change has been radical—almost radioactive!  For a believer, when we were born-again, our leadership transferred from the "flesh," to the "Spirit," from the Devil to the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is an even more radical change.  While we may live and work in this world, we are no longer citizens of this world, but pilgrims and wayfarers whose allegiance lies beyond this world. Jesus is our New Leader (Gal. 5:16-18).

❸ As citizens of Heaven we not only have new papers, and new leadership, but we obey new laws.  Again, we have to live and work in this world with its set of laws, but ultimately as citizens of heaven we need to obey heaven's laws first and foremost. (Jer. 31:33).  Our new “Law Book” is the Bible, the Word of God.

 At one point (among many) the apostles came under attack from the religious authorities (the Sanhedrin) for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In most matters, the Sanhedrin or Jewish Council were the civil authorities for the Jews.  The apostles were arrested by the temple police (yes the Temple had a police department), and thrown into jail.  An angel came at night and set them free with the command, "Go and preach."  So they went out and began teaching and preaching again.  Again, the authorities sent the police with the charge:

 Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? (Acts 5:28)

Peter, speaking for the apostles, replied, We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)

 Living in such a way as to be fully prepared for heavenly citizenship in the eternal future requires that we practice, "Right Politics."

 ❷ We also need RIGHT PRAYING (4:6-7)

The Lord is near.  6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I have become absolutely convinced of two facts:  ❶  Praying is absolutely essential to any hope of having a "Happy New Day," let alone a "Happy New Year," and in the final analysis, a "Happy Eternity."  We must pray often.  ❷  Everyone prays.  The horrors of WW2 gave rise to the phrase, “There are no atheists in foxholes” (though the exact source for the quote is uncertain.”

 People pray all the time.  I was once at the scene of an injury during a high school football game.  The star quarterback took nasty hit from a linebacker and snapped his angle in front of the crowd.  From several different people I heard this prayer, "Oh, my God!" 

 So, everyone prays at some point or another.  The key issue of learning to "Live for the Future" is "Right" praying.  What is "Right Praying?"

  First, it requires a right RELATIONSHIP to Go.   Look at our text again.  Vs 4:5 ends with the words,  " The Lord is near."

Praying right begins with a right relationship with God through Christ.  You can't pray right if you are not living right and you can't be living right unless you have a right relationship with God based upon the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

 Second, right praying requires an attitude of gratitude.  Notice in verse 6 the attitude we should have when praying: with THANKSGIVING. Praying with thanksgiving means at least two things:  ❶ you believe God is powerful enough to assist you according to your request; and ❷ God is good enough to act in your best interest every time.  The first issue is a matter of God’s omnipotence; the second All-beneficence. 

Third, praying right requires a solid FOUNDATION IN THE WORD of God.  Jesus said,

John 15:7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

Dwell on the words, "whatever you want," for a moment.  That's some powerful incentive for learning to pray right!

Prayer is a powerful tool in mining for prosperity.  My big problem with the "health and wealth" preachers is that they distort prayer by confusing "confidence" with "arrogance."  We do not DEMAND God answer prayer, but through a solid knowledge of God in the Word, we have great confidence in both His willingness and capability.

 The Word of God does in fact exhort us to “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time” (Heb. 4:16) 

Right politics and right praying begin to set us in the right direction for "Living in the Future."

 ❸ We also need a Right THINKING (4:8)

During the formative years of my ministerial training, a man with the strange name, "Zig Ziglar," held audiences both secular and sacred, spellbound by his whimsical words of wisdom.  Zig Ziglar was, and still is, a master motivator with a solid relationship with Jesus Christ.  Well into his 80’s, he taught a Sunday School class at a mega-church in Dallas, TX.  He is the author of over 25 books, 10 of which were best sellers.

 His motivation speeches are sermons without all the Scripture references.  One of the phrases that has always stuck with me over years was, "We must eliminate stinkin' thinkin'.  Zig Ziglar defined stinkin' thinkin' as negative, defeatest, worldly thinking.  Zig advocates a "heavenly way" of thinking--a Right Way of Thinking.  This is described in 4:8:

 8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

It is so hard to "dwell on heavenly things."  We live in a world full of negative sounds, negative circumstances, and negative people.  Trying to eliminate stinkin' thinkin' from a human standpoint is like trying to sanitize a pig sty.  Even if you could manage to get it looking and smelling better, it wouldn't be long before it was once again smelling bad.

The word translated "dwell on" (HCSB) means to "deliberate about, or to think deeply about."  We might even say contemplate.  The idea is to take time and effort to align yourself with God's thoughts, not the world's thoughts.  The only way to do that is to "get into the Word of God and remain there." 

Right politics.  The Right Way of Praying.  The Right way of Thinking all begin to orient us to "Living for the Future by Maximizing the Present."

While right politicking, right praying and right thinking all contribute to orienting our attitudes toward an eternal perspective, according to our text today, this is not enough to prepare us for our eternal fture.  The Word says we need the

❹ The Right LIVING to prepare us for the future (4:9) 

9 DO what you have learned.

I don't think Paul could sum up the matter much more succinctly than this:  "Do what you have learned."  The NIV says, "Put it into practice."

From beginning to end, the Bible admonishes us to conform our behavior to God's standards.  Simply knowing of or thinking about what God has instructed us does not substitute for "doing it."   James sums up the matter like this:

 1:22 But be DOERS of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a DOER, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; 24 for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a DOER who acts—this person will be blessed in what he DOES.

All of the "Right Thinking" in the world will be of little or no eternal value unless it results in "Right Living."  This does not contradict the doctrine of "salvation by grace alone through faith alone."  No, this verifies the power of God's grace. 

A grace that does not lead to Right Living is the wrong kind of grace, and in a biblical sense, no grace at all.  The saving kind of grace always leads to "Right Living."  Perhaps not "perfectly right," but definitely oriented to right living.

2024  is time to act.  We cannot afford to sit comfortably in our "Religious Lazy Boy" while the world dies and goes to hell.

We must remember:  salvation is spelled D  O  N  E! but holiness is spelled “D  O!”

Right Politics, right Praying, Right Thinking, and Right Living will still not give you ultimate victory in life in the future. It takes

❺ Right Dying (3:18-19; 4:3)

Pay close attention to verses 18-19, of Philippians chapter 3:

18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame.  They are focused on earthly things.

I can feel the pain in Paul's voice when he speaks these words.  They are hard words to hear.  The end of a person who does not surrender to Jesus as the Lord of Life is "destruction and shame."

I see evidence everywhere I go of "destruction and shame" -- which so often go together.  I see marriages being destroyed by infidelity or apathy.  I see young lives being destroyed by drugs and alcohol.  I see our nation being destroyed by avarice and greed.  I see our government being destroyed by corruption and lusts for power.  Destruction is all about us. I see a massive collision ahead when our godless world runs head-on into Our Holy God. It’s time to wake-up.

I just read a story about two boys who wanted to become a long-haul trucking team. There names were Charlie and Leroy.

The two brothers were being interviewed for a truck-driving team. They were engaged in a hypothetical situation. The interviewer said, "Now, Charlie, imagine you're driving the truck and Leroy, your brother, is up on top asleep. Charlie, your truck is loaded down with hundreds of pounds of produce. You are going down a steep mountain when all of a sudden your brakes fail! You try your emergency brake and it fails. You try to gear down and your strip all of your gears! Now, Charlie, without any mechanical means of stopping this big truck, you are now accelerating at 80.....90...….100....110.....120....miles per hour! Now, at that rate the road suddenly narrows into one lane and goes over an old one lane bridge. Suddenly, from out of the horizon, you see another big truck coming towards you in exactly the same situation you are in. At that point, Charlie, what in the world do you do???"  Charlie thought for a moment and said, "Sir, I think I would wake up old Leroy!" Shocked, the employer said, "Charlie, why would you wake up Leroy at a dangerous time like that?" Charlie thought some more and said, "Well, sir, you see, old Leroy ain't never seen a great big wreck before!"

Well folks, I’d just like to say that this hypothetical situation seems to perfectly describe our current situation in the world. There is about to be a really, really big wreck and somebody needs to wake up Leroy.

The end is fast approaching either by death or the rapture. The future will come one day come in with a bang and go out with an even bigger bang.

The only way to be prepared for what future “living” will bring is know you are “Dying Right.”

People who don't die right, face a horrible eternity in a Lake of Fire where their destruction and shame become an eternal state.  The future of lost people is more horrible than we have words in the human languages to describe.  The thought of such a destruction and shame facing those who do not find the Right Way of Dying, drove Paul to tears.

What is the Right Way of Dying.  Phil. 4:3 lays it out as simply as possible:

3 Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women [Eudia, Synteche] who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers whose names are in the book of life.

The Right Way of Dying simply means that we have our names recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.  That means we have surrendered to Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives. 

 

A married couple were on vacation and staying overnight at a motel. They had to get up early the next morning to continue their travel, so they called the front desk for a wake up call the next morning.

The front desk called, and the wife got up and began packing everything . She told her husband to get up, but he just lay there. She continued packing , and once again told him to get up.

He still just lay there. Finally she told him, " I am going to take our suitcases to the car, and you had better be up by the time I get back!

She took the suitcases to the car, and started back to the room. She mistakenly went to the room next door, and the door happened to be unlocked. She opened the door and said " I SAID FOR THE LAST TIME, GET UP!

She then realized she was in the wrong room, so she quietly shut the door. The man raised up, rubbed his eyes, and said " Now that is what I call a wake up call.

I hope you will let this message be a “Wake Up Call” for you at the beginning of this New Year! Determine right here and right now to GET IT RIGHT when it comes to facing the future. Get your POLITICS right, your PRAYING right, your THINKING right, your LIVING right, and most of all, your DYING right.

”The future sure ain’t what it used to be.” Get ready. Get right.