Some good news
1.
Perhaps you saw some of the recent sales figures
released a few days ago for automobiles.
2.
Compared with 2008, sales for GM last month decreased
by more than 53%.
3.
Ford’s sales were almost 49% lower compared to a year
ago. Chrysler was almost 45% lower.
4.
5.
All around us we find illustrations of a difficult
economy in the
LAST
WEEK WE INTRODUCED PRINCIPAL THAT WAS ILLUSTRATED BY THINGS SUCH AS STOP SIGNS
AND STOP LIGHTS.
a)
People can believe whatever they want about a stop sign
or a stop light.
b)
We can believe a stop sign does not mean stop – in our
mind it only means “slow down.”
c)
Our belief about something does not make something
true.
2)
Today we want to consider some beliefs about life and
contrast them with the scriptures.
3)
For instance, there is a popular belief that life is all about the here and now.
a)
Many think that what happens in their day to day life
is all that really matters.
b)
In other words, life is all about our physical
existence.
c)
Solomon had this view for a while.
d)
Eccl. 5:18 refers to “eating, drinking and having a
job.”
e)
For a lot of people, this is all life is.
f)
People want to eat well. They want a job, preferably one they like.
g)
If we have all we need (and hopefully some more), then
our life is full and complete.
4)
God has a different view of things.
5)
What matters most is how we live our lives and this
includes the choices we make.
a)
Solomon offered an interesting warning a little later
in this same book – 12:1.
b)
He said a time comes in life when some things hold
little interest for people.
c)
Perspective on life changes in the later years. As he aged his body experienced some changes.
d)
Eyes get old and do not work like they used to. Strong arms and powerful legs get weak.
e)
We may lose our teeth.
Several different consequences are listed are listed in Eccl. 12.
f)
Eccl. 12:13 says, “fear God and keep His commandments.”
g)
Eccl. 12:1 says, “Remember the creator in the days of
thy youth.”
h)
It is not wrong to seek and have a good job.
i)
A desire to eat well and enjoy some of what life offers
are not sinful things.
6)
We can become so absorbed in and with the physical that
we forget about the spiritual.
7)
When we do not stay focused on what is right, we set
ourselves up for some serious problems.
a)
This past week I read about John Wooden, the famous U C L A basketball coach.
b)
This article said Wooden always kept a wooden cross in
his pocket.
c)
That cross helped him remember that some things in life
are more important that basketball.
d)
This is the lesson we also want to know and remember.
e)
Christ is more important that politics, business,
romance, education, and even a career.
f)
God is more important than our health, wealth, and even
our physical life.
8)
Whether times in life are good or bad, priorities can
get out of alignment.
9)
Now much of our world is focused on the material—it is obsessed
with the current state of affairs.
10) Virtually every news cast
refers to the economy, war, cars, health care, jobs, the price of oil, housing,
etc.
11) We
have on-going obligations that require attention.
12) If
we are a Christian, let’s not forget that we have a “primary mission.”
13) Earth
is just a short stop for mankind; our real existence lies beyond this life.
14) Thus,
Jesus well said more than 2,000 years ago “seek first the kingdom of God” (Mt.
6:33).
AS
WE LOOK AT OUR WORLD WE ARE OFTEN LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAVE LITTLE
TO BE HOPEFUL FOR AND JOYFUL ABOUT IN A DIFFICULT ECONOMY.
a)
If life is all about the here and now, many will not
find much joy in their daily life.
b) The Bible says that
Christians have many things that give them strength and hope every single day.
c) In the book we call
“Hebrews” we find some Christians who were facing some very difficult times.
d)
It seems these brethren faced some hard economic times.
e)
They were also undergoing some severe persecution.
f)
The author of the Hebrew letter (whoever that was)
offered some encouragement.
2)
He said Jesus has “purged” His people from their sins,
Heb. 1:3. Jesus has paid a very large
debt.
a)
Our world has a lot to say about debt—housing debt,
credit card debt, medical debt, national debt.
b) We are hearing about dollar
amounts that are so big, some don’t know how many zeros these figures have.
c)
When it comes to earthly debt, the amounts can be huge.
d)
There is no past, present or future debt that will
exceed the debt created by sin.
3)
Isa. 59:1-2 says sin “separates” people from God.
4)
If we had 10,000 years we could not pay the debt
created by sin.
5)
If we had 10 million years, the debt of sin would still
be something we could not repay.
a)
When times are difficult, Christians can look at their
spiritual debt and say, “It’s paid.”
b)
Not only is it paid by the Lord, it is literally paid
in full.
c)
Future sins are also covered by Jesus’ payment for sin.
d)
Our world wants to talk about “debt relief.” This is our message and it is good news.
PEOPLE
NOT ONLY OFTEN HAVE THE WRONG PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE’S PRIORITIES, THEY ERR WHEN
IT COMES TO HOW MUCH TIME THEY HAVE.
a)
Many have the idea that they their physical life last
for a long time.
b)
Are we not told that “Now is a great time to buy
stocks”? The “market will recover.”
c)
There is an interesting contrast between how we count
time and how the Bible counts time.
d)
We often count time by our birthdays.
2)
How many birthdays do we think we will have in our
lifetime?
a)
40? 60? 70?
80? 90? 100?
120?
b)
If we reach the hundred mark, that is still is not a
very high number.
c)
I do not know of any Bible passage that says we should
count our birthdays.
d)
I do know of some verses that speak of “counting our
days.”
3)
Ps. 90:12 says, “teach us to number our days.” God says count the days instead of our
birthdays.
4)
75 years of life times 365 days in a year comes out to
27,375.
a)
That may sound like a lot of time.
b)
Imagine if someone were to tell us, “These nearly
28,000 days are all you get.”
c)
For the first few years of life we might not be all
that concerned about how many days we have.
d)
Time goes by quickly.
By the age of 10 we would have spent almost 4,000 of our days.
e)
By the time we reach 18, more than 6,500 of our days
would be done.
f)
By age 40, almost 15,000 of our days (more than half)
would be used up.
5)
The world’s view of time is often that we will be
around for a long time.
6)
The Biblical is:
Count your days because your
life is a “vapor” (Jas. 4:14).
THE
WORLD’S VIEW OF LIFE IS THAT WEALTH IS IMPORTANT. GAIN MONEY AND ALL WILL BE OKAY BECAUSE BEING
RICH IS GREAT AND SAFE.
a)
As we sit here, a lot of people are learning that
physical wealth is not all that secure.
b)
This past week I heard someone talk about Citigroup, a
well known stock.
c)
Back in 2007 this stock sold for $55 a share.
d)
Last week this stock briefly dropped to 97 cents.
2) If we have put our hopes in
stocks, bonds, and other investments, we may be in for a big disappointment.
3)
Jesus warned about this a long, long time ago. Let’s think back to Jesus’ Sermon on the
Mount.
4)
What does Mt. 6:20 tell us? We find more than one important truth in this
passage.
a)
The first part of that verse says, “lay up treasures in
heaven.”
b)
Can we lay up treasures in heaven? Jesus said we can.
c)
A lot of people want to amass earthly treasures; to
these people, heavenly treasures are secondary.
d)
Why is it wise to concentrate on earthly treasures?
e)
The rest of this verse tells us why this is the proper
choice.
f)
Jesus said “moths and rust” cannot consume these
treasures.
g)
Let’s put the point into modern terms: “The heavenly market never declines.”
h)
If heaven could be compared to stocks, there is never
any type of decrease or loss.
i)
When things are stored up with God, no part of the
treasure is ever lost.
j)
This should be a daily encouragement to faithful
Christians.
k)
And the end of the verse Jesus said “thieves” cannot
break through and steal heavenly treasures.
5)
During difficult economic times people are often the
victim of theft and other crimes.
6)
For the Christian, there are treasures that cannot be
touched.
7)
No matter how careful thieves and no matter how hard
they work, divine treasures cannot be stolen.
8)
That is good news as we go through life.
OUR
WORLD OFTEN DRAWS ATTENTION TO OTHER MATTERS SUCH AS HEALTH CARE. IN THE COMING MONTHS THIS IS PROBABLY GOING
TO BE A MAJOR TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
a)
Health care is an important issue.
b)
Many seem to believe that physical health is the most
important consideration in life.
c)
God says this is not true.
2)
We want to take the best possible care of our bodies.
3)
We are stewards of our flesh just as we are stewards of
other things.
4)
Part of caring for ourselves also involves the
spiritual part of life.
a)
In 1 Tim. 4:8 Paul referred to “bodily exercise.”
b)
This passage refers to our physical being (body).
c)
Paul recognized that it is possible to “exercise.”
d)
We didn’t invent exercise in the last 10 or 50 years—it
has been around for a long time.
e)
Paul did not mention going to the doctor in this
passage, but this idea is not far from the thought.
5)
Exercise and going to the doctor can improve our health
or help maintain it.
6)
These things are right.
They are not, however, the most important items.
7)
Listen to what Paul, the aged evangelist, wrote to
Timothy the young preacher – READ
1 Tim. 4:8.
8)
Exercise profits “a little.” This is also true for things like good
medical care.
9) Our physical body is one day
going to fail no matter who our doctor is and even if we exercise perfectly.
10) Also,
caring for the physical body in an ideal way pales in comparison to
“godliness.”
11) Living
in the way God wants is “profitable for all.”
12) Godliness
helps us in this life as well as eternity.
13) Our
world has so very strong beliefs about life.
a)
There are ideas about what we truly need.
b)
There are ideas about what is truly important.
c)
There are ideas about what should make us optimistic.
d)
There are ideas about what we should fear.
e)
There are ideas about what our goals should be.
f)
In almost every case the ideas of the world are
contrary to what we find in the scriptures.
14) One
of the wrong ideas from the world is the essence of life.
15) Every
single day our world may talk of desperation and hopelessness.
16) This
is not the message that Christians have in their heart.
17) Do
we remember the scripture reading just before this lesson?
18) I
want to re-read just a few of those verses – Rom. 8:35-39 – READ
19) What
I have described is the “abundant life” Jesus spoke of in Jn. 10.
a)
When the world shouts, “things are terrible” the
Christian can say, “we have abundance.”
b)
That abundance may not be of a material nature.
c)
It is an abundance that makes the problems and trials
in this life bearable and leaves us with hope.
d)
We have this and all other spiritual wealth through
Christ.
20) If
we are Christians we are rich and that wealth cannot be taken away.
21) That
is “good news” that we can carry with us every single day.
22) Today,
are we someone who shares in this good news because we have become a Christian?