Dash

Inspired this to go on. You know, last week was my intended end of the sermon series where you know, we've just been building off the whole idea of the power of the resurrection and what it really means and how it, you know, leads us even to the point that as Christians, we need, not even fear death That's where I thought it would all end when I originally started this series but events of the past couple weeks kind of inspired me to go on and what those events were or was I told you all that I was called on rather short notice to do a funeral for a high school friends. Father will I did that funeral? but what was so sad to me was Most of the family didn't come.

You know, it's I was at the funeral. There was maybe 6/8 people there. Most of his grandkids didn't come most of the other family didn't come because. Well, if you read into people's cryptic messages, they put on Facebook, there was obviously some family beef going on. So people didn't show Which I kind of got tipped off to that because an hour before the funeral, as I was eating my lunch, getting ready to go. My friend calls me and goes oh by the way, I should let you know half the family wants to hear the other half doesn't As like awesome. I love walking into those sort of situations. And, you know, the whole time I was there with him at the funeral home, I mean, you could feel the tension in the room. and I thought, wow, you know is This is just sad that at someone's funeral. All these things are coming to the surface, but that's so often happens. Then later in the week, I went to the viewing of someone who passed away in my son-in-law's family and after that viewing, you know, My daughter said that that was tough. And we're like, well why was that tough? And she said, well, no one had anything nice to say about it.

You know, it has people shared their feelings, you know, one of his children show shared well my dad never told me he loved me and things like that or one of the grandkids shared, you know, Grandpa never wanted us to come around and cuz he didn't like messing with his grandkids and he didn't want to see any of his great-grandchildren.

And, like I said, as I thought about those things, I was like, wow. That is sad. Is that the Legacy any of us want to leave? It's not and you know, for me this song came to mind, you know, thinking about that whole dash and that is the life that we live. So you know, so much is represented between those two dates that are on our tombstone.

in another funny point that I noticed when I did my father-in-law's funeral was on a tombstone near them, it's not on a stage but on a tombstone near his there's an inscription that says we tried to be useful. Search for you can read a lot into that but you know what are they meaning by that and it really got me thinking about all these things. but you know, the first thing I want to Talk about from the song and it's just that life is short.

you know, we often take that for granted, we think Well, let me read Psalm 90:10. Verse says, our days may come to seventy years or eighty if our strength indoors yet. The best of them are but trouble and sorrow for they quickly pass and we fly away.

You know, we all think, 70, 80 years is a good life span and you know is our Medical Technology gets better at that age keeps creeping up. I don't think we'll ever get up to some of the Old Testament ages that we saw there, but we keep getting older. But you know, the first thing I want to emphasize is making the most of our time. It is limited. We need to realize that, you know, we all have a birthday and an expiration date and you know, this verse from Psalm is reflecting on that, that life is short. Life is fragile, we never know. but we need to make the most of what we do have

you know, it also points to the idea that everyday that God blesses us with is indeed a blessing, and we need to be thankful for that. And like I said, we need to make every second count, you know, these lyrics are urging us to consider what you're doing, what are you chasing after in life? What is all you're striving for, does it matter?

Like I said, in light of the couple funerals I had attended, it makes me think you know, what's my legacy going to be, what are people going to remember me for? if given an opportunity will people have anything nice to say, At my funeral.

And you know, it alliance with a lot of the themes. We've discussed over these last few weeks, talking about loving God, and loving others, and those things are so important.

You know, another thing, the song encourages us to do is to live with purpose.

You know, we've talked about how God has a plan for each of Our Lives, even though it might not be clear. Sometimes, there always is a plan.

John 10:10 says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. Yes, we went through this entire series, we've talked a lot about the enemy in his constant assault on us in our life as Believers. And you know in this verse he is referred to as the thief.

and, you know, his Purpose is to try to do the opposite of what Jesus wants for a slight. Right? You know, we see in this verse that Jesus wants us to have life and have it to the full. Jesus wants us to have a good life, a full life, a meaningful life. And he's not just talking about, you know, having all the material things we want, they're all the friends and family that we want. It's talking about spiritual richness and fulfillment that God wants us to have all those things. The enemy doesn't he doesn't want us to have one single one of those things. And that's why it says here in that verse, you know, that the enemy comes to steal kill and destroy.

Because for all of us in life, we have a choice to whose purpose are we going to pursue? Are we going to pursue the enemies, purpose Force, the thieves purpose, which is to steal kill, and destroy, are we going to, you know, live for the worldly things that really only seek to Rob us of what Christ really wants, or do we follow Jesus purpose for life, which is to give us more life and to give it abundantly to us. But not only that for us to be a blessing to others to give them life. They said this Abundant Life cross Christ talks about. It's not just about spiritual fullness, it's about So much more as far as a life lived in connection with God. We're what the thief wants to do is he wants to break that connection. He wants to steal that from you and take it.

Guy said, you know, there's a clear contrast there between what the thief wants to take from you and what Christ wants to give you.

Nikita. All that is that it needs to be burped built on a firm foundation.

You know, this songs message, also, connects with the idea of the wise and foolish builders that we find in Matthew Chapter 7. If you look at Matthew chapter 7 verses 24 to 27, it says therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down the streams Rose and the winds blew and beat against that house. Yet, it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice, is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down the streams Rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a great crash.

you know, the thing about this Parable is it talks about Actually putting the teachings of Jesus in The Practice. You know, taking that knowledge of the gospel and actually living it out as what it's talking about. You know, the wise Builder is the one who hears Jesus's words. But on top of that, he obeys, Jesus's words. He builds his life upon that solid foundation of Jesus's teachings and actually putting them in the practice. And that is how he isn't able to endure the storms of life, no matter what they may be, no matter what comes his house stands because it's built on that rock. You know, the foolish Builder may hear the stories of Jesus May read the Bible occasionally, but doesn't obey any of it thinks. It's just a good story. It's And that's why he's compared to someone who builds his house on sand. And their house collapses with a great crash, the first time, any storm hits.

Cuz the foundation matters.

You know, how often?

Especially in our culture. Now, you know, well, it's okay. They can believe whatever they want to believe. Well, truth, they can't. But that doesn't mean it's a good foundation.

You know, we don't want to ever push anything on people because, well, we don't want to seem judgy your that were doing that, and that's not the thing that it's talking about here. You know, it's talking about the foundation matters. And I think when were talking to others and sharing with others, we should feel free to be able to tell them, you know, what, you build your life of pain is important.

But you know, they're only going to listen to what we have to say. If they see us living a life in accordance with what we say, the foundation is built on.

You know, it's not simply enough to hear Jesus's words, obedience to them, is critical you notes about hearing and doing. The wise Builder hears Jesus's words but then he goes out and applies them. He applies it to his life, how he lives his life out in public, how he raises his children, his grandchildren. All the foolish Builder. Just chooses to ignore them.

Young the floods and rain and winds and things that are talked about. In this passage we've all experienced those things in our own lives in different ways. You know, they represent the trials and difficulties that we all face.

The wise man's house is able to stand firm because it has the foundation. Now, it's not saying that he doesn't whether all the same storms that the foolish man does. It just says that his house can stand firm. So, yes, his house may have difficult days. It may have really, really hard, sad days.

But because of the foundation, the wise man has it is firmly based on scripture. He is able to survive those storms.

Now the foolish man may think he's, you know, found the cheat code to life and he's able to, you know, skirt around all these things. Even though, you know, he can try to claim The Best of Both Worlds, say that he believes in Jesus, but live in a totally different way.

But the problem is, when The problems of Life Hit, he doesn't have that Foundation. cuz he's never lived his life in a way where he's applied the things he's heard and he's learned

That's why, you know, I think this song is kind of a call to choose your path wisely. you know the parable that I tied to it there highlights the contrasting outcomes of obedience and Disobedience, you know, with the wise and foolish builders Like I've said A wise man, life indoors while the foolish man's life is destroyed. It's washed away.

Most of us have probably had the experience of, you know, building a sand castle on a beach somewhere and as the water comes up and washes over it, I mean soon. You don't even know it was there.

It's much the same way if you build on that shaky Foundation.

When the storms of life come, they just wash over it and wipe it away. But not if your life is built on the right foundation and Jesus is our One Foundation

You know, the parable, their focuses on hearing and doing what Jesus talks about. And it's that doing part, that is so important to truly building a solid foundation.

you know, and it's so fitting that he says that, you know, talking about building on the rock of Jesus Christ. Made me think of how, you know, he referred to Peter. As The Rock upon, which his church be built.

You again, Christ was referring to the need for a solid foundation for something to be built. Carrie's on.

And, you know, also, I think we could tie the scripture talking about the greatest commandment to this whole idea that were talking about this morning of hearing and doing,

In Matthew chapter, 22 verses 37. Through 39.

Says Jesus replied. Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul. And with all your mind, this is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.

You know, Jesus tells us that these are the two greatest Commandments.

Love the Lord, your God. With all of your heart, your mind and your soul and love others.

You know, those are very important. I would called him Central practices of the Christian faith but so often we do good at 1 but not as good as the other. And that is our constant thing to continue to try to do that but it has to start with that. Love for God. That has to be our priority above everything else. On this Earth is to first, love God. It's only out of that love that we have forgotten the love that he has for us. That we can begin to love others in the way that we should in a way that honors and pleases God.

Mean, love your neighbor as yourself.

I mean, how often do we really love others that much as much as our sell for more than our self? You know, do we treat them with the same care and respect that we treat ourselves with that. We want for ourselves, that's why. We have to have the love of God within us first. If we're going to be able to do it cuz that's not an easy thing. It's not a natural thing. you know, our first thought is Preserve ourselves right to keep ourselves and that is what Fallen human nature pushes towards. But we need to love God and love others.

You know, we should be farther down the list in our priorities.

and you know, I love it that ass we Come to the communion table today. What Christ did on the cross is the ultimate example of that.

Christ showed his love for God. In the fact that he submitted himself to the will of God, which was that he would endure. The penalty for our sins, on the cross, that he would suffer and die for our sins.

You can't do that. If you don't love God, fully if that's not the first thing in your life, but it was so that was an easy choice to make and really that choice was also made because of his love for others.

because he loved us so much that he was willing to go undergo, the pain and suffering of the crucifixion, so that we may live

so, as we come to the communion table this morning, what I want us all to be thinking about, is

How am? I living the life that God has blessed me with.

Does he know? The sad truth is like I said I've had a lot of funerals lately.

You know, James's friend Ryan passed away, at just 24 years old with cancer.

Praise the Lord. I mainly heard good things said

And like I said, in contrast with the others one who is in his 70s, one, who was 97, and not hearing many good things that all it made me think it's not the length of our cash that matters. How we use it? It's how we live it. Soon, as we come to the communion table today, I just want us all to be reflecting on that question. How am I living the life that God has given me and my seeking after his purpose for my life? Or am I just focused on Miles.

because I think when we lived with a focus on other people, that's when we're really feeling the purpose that God wants for us, And hopefully, it'll mean we'll live out our life much. More productively, as far as how we love God and how we love others. Cuz wouldn't it be great if that's all that people say when they come to our funeral? How we love God and how we loved others?

And really nothing should matter more to us than those things.

So as I invite you to come forward this morning, I receive the communion elements and then after you receive the elements return to your seats and then we will all take them together. As of church family when we get back together. So, please, if Julie could come up and help me please come and receive the elements.