Pastor Rich's sermon for Sunday, February 29. 2004

Can you believe it tomorrow is the first of March? Am I the only one wondering where has the first two months of 2004 gone? I have heard many people say, “The older you are the faster time seems to speed by.” Time seemed to pick up speed when our sons were born. It just doesn’t seem possible that they are twenty-seven and twenty-four years of age. It seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago that we announced the birth of Nathan. Today we baptize him and he is already five months old.

Do you remember watching old western movies? Can you think of a movie where there wasn’t some good guy or bad guy who wasn’t asked, “What brings you to these parts?” To which the cowboy answered, “Just passing through.” To which the person asking the question usually gave the cowboy some words of advice or warning.

“Just passing through.” I believe this what the Psalmist was saying,

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

You and I and Nathan are just passing through. So before it is too late what words of advice or warning do you and I need to hear and what words of advice would we want to give Nathan and his parents Frank and Kristen?

The shortness of life should sound alarms to us not to neglect what is truly important. Isn’t it ironic that people spend so much time securing their lives on earth and spend so little or no thought about where they will spend eternity. David realized that amassing riches and busily accomplishing worldly tasks would make no difference in eternity.

Psalm 119.19
“I am a sojourner on earth,
do not hide your command from me.”

Let us not forget that we are sojourners. We are living in a country to which we do not belong. We need guidance in and for our living. Almost any long trip requires a map or guide. As we travel through life, the Bible should be our road map, pointing out safe routes, obstacles to avoid, and our final destination. We must recognize ourselves as pilgrims; travelers here on earth who need to study God’s map to learn the way. If we ignore the map we will wonder aimlessly through life and risk missing our real destination.

James 4:4
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with this world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

There is nothing wrong with wanting a pleasurable life. God gives us good gifts that He wants us to enjoy. BUT having friendship with the world involves seeking pleasure at other’s expense or at the expense of obeying God. Pleasure that keeps us from obeying God is sinful. Self-centeredness leads us to conclude that we deserve all we can see, touch, or imagine. It creates greedy appetites for far more than we need. We allow ourselves to be seduced for what the world offers, which are cheap substitutes for what God has to offer.

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

What would you say if I asked you, “What nationality are you?” I would be very surprised if the majority of you said, “American.” I suspect that, even though you have spent that greater part of your life, if not your entire life in America, you would have told me the country of your ancestors. Why is that?

Yet when it comes to thinking in spiritual terms we think in terms of the here and now, earth and not in terms of the kingdom of God or heaven. Rick Warren wrote, “We should carry spiritual green cards to remind us that our citizenship is not earth, but heaven.”

We must not surrender our heavenly citizenship for earth pursuits. There is great danger in living for the here and now. There is great danger in adopting values, priorities and lifestyle of this world because many are in conflict with God’s will and word. American ambassadors to foreign countries adapt to the customs of that country but don’t forsake their own country. As ambassadors of Christ Jesus we are not to forsake Him, to do so would make us traitors.

Just recently an American soldier was arrested because he was found to be sending email to members of the El Quida. Such actions are unthinkable and were found to be contemptible. Yet how often are our thoughts, desires and actions found to be contemptible by or to God?

We live in a land and in a time where the individual’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is coming with a huge cost. There is a great difference between how the world and God defines pursuit of happiness. While the world defines pursuit of happiness in terms of materialism, prosperity, popularity and success, God defines pursuit of happiness in terms of faithfulness to Him.

1 Peter 2:11
“I urge you,
as aliens and strangers in the world,
to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul.”

As believers, we are “aliens and strangers” in this world, because our real home is with God. Our true loyalty should be to our citizenship in heaven, not to our citizenship here, because the earth will be destroyed. Our loyalty should be to God’s truth, His way of life, and His dedicated people. Because we are loyal to God, we will feel like strangers in a world that would prefer to ignore God.

Is your focus on temporary crowns at the expense of an eternal crown?

Let us not forget that life here is temporary. When we die, we don’t leave home we go home.

What kind of home Jesus prepares for you and me depends on the way you and I are living right now.

This is the advice we need to heed as well as pass on to Nathan.

“Show me, O Lord, my life’s end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.”
“I urge you…
to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul.”