With 2015 almost over, and 2016 upon us, Pastor Brian exhorted The Bridge to serve the Lord with all their might, making every hour and every day count for eternity!
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Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do in 2016
Ecclesiastes 9:10
- Bishop JC Ryle, “A second lease of life is granted to no man. Then let us resist procrastination as we would resist the devil.”Lost time is never found. Time not commodity that can be stored for future use. Must be invested hour by hour or gone forever. Procrastination is thief of time – each has definite allotted portion of time left. None knows how much.
- New Year in 5 days, think of passing of time. 2015 gone. What will 2016 hold? Change jobs, houses, illness, death, return of Christ?! Don’t know. Do know Christ commanded diligently serve until returns.
- 9:10. Solomon given much wisdom in this book – emptiness of living for pleasure, power, possessions. Meditate on Eccl. 9:10 that might serve God diligently in 2016. Don’t want be ashamed for how misspent time.
- 3 Questions: What should we do? How should we do it? Why should we do it?
1. What Should We Do? “whatever your hand finds to do”
What You Can Do. Not what imagination dreams (millionaire, President, famous preacher). Maybe can’t preach before multitudes, but can start bible study at work or neighborhood, door to door, hand out tracts, disciple young believer. Maybe can’t give millions, but can give hundreds. Can teach children, bring food, encourage others.
What God Brings To You. “finds” – implies discover something didn’t see before. Didn’t notice possibility before. Things God helps see; gives ideas; brings opportunities; enables you to find; leads into. Eph.2:10. Christian life exciting adventure! Each must find what God wants Him to do. Put into your heart. 1Tim.3:1. I discovered loved teaching Word 1981.
“Whatever” Your Hand Finds To Do. Some things won’t like. Serve Lord in all. Give examples. Resolve to do all w/ all might. What your hand found to do? Not created to be idle. Tit.2:14. “The idler the man, the busier the Tempter.”
2. How Should We Do It? “do it with all your might”
Do It. Don’t talk about it; regret not doing it; cry over spilt milk. Do it Now! Don’t procrastinate. Don’t say tomorrow. Today only time in which to live. Past gone – future hasn’t arrived. / New Believer – don’t have to wait. Elderly – Don’t need to retire before serve. Begin! Don’t let procrastination steal 1 hour!
With All Your Might. Not halfheartedly, listlessly. Put everything into. Whole soul. Need faith that burns into heart. William Booth, “I like my tea as I like my religion – H-O-T!” It’s easier to cool down a fanatic than warm up a corpse. Zeal for Your house has consumed Me! God worth serving? Do it w/ all might! Don’t give Him leftovers. Give best!
Article from an Atheist: “If I firmly believed as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, then religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away earthly enjoyments as dross, earthly cares as follies, and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor in its cause alone. I would take thought for the morrow of Eternity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences would never stay my hand, or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and its griefs, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would be, “what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul.”
3. Why Should We Do It? “for there is no activity or planning or wisdom in Sheol where you are going”
Because Death Approaches. then can’t redo lives. Sheol – 65x in OT. Most times translated “grave.” While still able to do, think, plan, do w/ all might, cuz coming day when can’t. Jn.9:4. Only live once. Reincarnation lie. This life only chance to live for Christ in this world. M. Henry, “This we know, that if the work of life be not done when our time is done, we are undone forever!” All walking toward graves; every day brings step closer. When dead too late to repent, pray for children, speak gospel. Now or never! Jonathan Edwards, “Life is so short & we have so much to crowd into it, we can’t spare to waste a moment of it.” If knew die tonight, have regrets? Taught children more earnestly, indulged less, witnessed more? Go & do it. Some Catholic monks read Bible from candle stuck in skull. “Life is too short for us to do everything we want to do but it is long enough for us to do everything God wants us to do.” After death comes judgment. Satisfied to go before judgment? Anything wish to change? Do now! Rev.14:13.
Conclusion
- Relationship to God. Prayer and Word. Do w/ all might. Make time. Become consistent. Show that Christ more important than all!
- Relationship to Family. Spouse – encouraging, serving, helping, supporting. Children – teaching, praying, playing, disciplining, modeling. Do w/ all might!
- Relationship to Church. Make priority. Become Member. Serve Lord here in body. Look around. Who can help to grow spiritually? Start meeting with? Begin to go out into community to reach lost.
- Relationship to Work. Godly testimony, accurate representative of Christ, honest hard work, seek to win to Christ. “Only 1 life, will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Unbelievers: Death approaching. Don’t know how long to live. When die too late to repent, believe, bring forth fruit. Make peace w/ God now. Lu.13:24 “Strive to enter…” Spare no pains, go to any lengths to enter door of salvation. Stakes high! Soul too valuable to lose. Eternity long. Do w/ all might. One day too late!
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