The Gift of Life

Introduction:

About Me:

Pastor of GC—OVERLOOK/SHAMOKIN...

HUSBAND—FATHER (2 GIRLS)

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II. Opening Prayer

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III. Songs (x3)

Song List:

There is a Fountain (G)

How Great Thou Art (G)

It is Well (G)

At Calvary (G)

Great is Thy Faithfulness (G)

Old Rugged Cross (G) - Last resort

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IV. Message: The Gift of Life

Introduction

Life is filled with hardships…but LIFE = LIKEWISE GOOD.

I’M SURE OVER YEARS ALL HAVE FACED BAD THINGS…

ALSO SURE—THERE ARE MANY GOOD THINGS…

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Testimony:

DEALING W/ HEALTH STRUGGLES

HAVE BLESSING of YOUNG FAMILY/KIDS

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WE’LL MISS the BLESSEDNESS of LIFE...

if WE ONLY FOCUS on the HARDSHIPS

& NOT IT’S BLESSINGS…

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Transition: TODAY—I WANT to READ JUST a FEW SHORT VERSES—FROM the BOOK of ECCLESIASTES…

Focus: THEY TALK ABOUT the BLESSING of LIFE...

PRAY THEY ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY

SCRIPTURE SAYS

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Passage:

Ecclesiastes 11:7–8 (ESV)

7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

8 So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.

Background: ECCLESIASTES = GENERALLY a BUMMER...

BIBLE SCHOLAR: WRITTEN on MONDAY MORNING...

EEYORE SAYS AMEN to ECCLESIASTES MORE THAN ANY OTHER BOOK...

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ECCLESIASTES = HONEST ABOUT HARDSHIPS & REALITIES of LIFE

LIKEWISE ADMONISHES US to ENJOY LIFE WHILE WE HAVE IT...

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SAME AUTHOR WHO BEMOANS “LIFE UNDER the SUN” …

PICTURE of NATURAL, EARTHLY LIFE

… HERE SAYS IT’S PLEASANT for EYES to SEE the SUN...

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Focus: IT’S a BLESSING to HAVE LIFE

LIGHT = SWEET

PLEASANT for EYES to SEE the SUN

Meaning: WE’RE ABOVE GROUND!

THERE’S a BLESSING in EACH DAY for US...

When tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us,

we should be thankful for each tomorrow He’s given to us.

Testimony: TRY to HAVE MY FIRST INTENTIONAL THOUGHT of the DAY— THANKSGIVING to GOD— ANOTHER DAY

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(V8) LIVED MANY YEARS?? REJOICE in THEM ALL!

=> DAY = GOOD…THEN YEAR = GOOD...

=> => YEAR = GOOD… THEN MULTIPLE YEARS = GREAT!

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THE LONGER YOU LIVE— THE MORE GOOD MEMORIES YOU HAVE

HARDSHIPS,, SURE

PHYSICAL AILMENTS—PROBABLY

BUT BLESSINGS & GOOD MEMORIES TOO...

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BREATH in OUR LUNGS = GOD’S GIFT to US (GEN. 2:7)…

… FOR as LONG as WE’RE HERE...

ONLY GOD KNOWS HOW LONG...

Psalm 139:16 (ESV)

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG WE’LL ALL BE HERE—

— BUT I KNOW THAT EACH DAY is a GIFT...

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(V8b) Teacher’s reasoning: MANY COMING DAYS of DARKNESS...

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Transition: TEACHER KNEW of the GIFT of LIFE—BUT NOT the GIFT of LIFE ETERNAL!!

Gospel Connection

Fascinating Subject: PROGRESS of REVELATION

=> TEACHER WITHOUT ASSURANCE of ETERNAL LIFE—ENJOYED THIS ONE...

=> => HOW MUCH MORE the N.T. BELIEVER— W/ FULL PICTURE!

NO GREATER GIFT THAN LIFE ETERNAL....

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Invitation:

THIS = the HOPE of ALL WHO TRUST in JESUS CHRIST as LORD & SAVIOR...

BELIEVING HE DIED for OUR SINS

&& WAS RAISED...

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WE’RE REDEEMED, FORGIVEN—GIVEN HOPE of ETERNAL LIFE BY GOD’S PROMISE!

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LEAVE YOU W/ APOSTLE PAUL’S WORDS in 2 COR…4:16-18:

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (ESV)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Conclusion: IF LIFE DOWN HERE—GOOD…

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW GOOD the NEXT WILL BE…

V. Closing Prayer?

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VI. Closing Song:

Amazing Grace (D)

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VII. Closing Prayer & Dismissal