Making the Most of Life
Making the Most of Life; nv 7/22/07 am (Psa. 1)
OS: 1 Life is so Short. I will always cherish the time I had over the past several weeks this summer to be with family, to rest, to be alone and think & pray. There is nothing like seeing the sunrise and watching the sunset on a certain small farm just north of Opelika, Alabama. It does something good for the soul to crawl on that little Ford Tractor, or climb up on to that big John Deere. Or the way your mind clears when you saddle up that horse and go for a ride, sit around the fire even though it’s summer, take a walk through the woods, or doze in the barn as a summer thunderstorm brings water to the fields. There is time that must be taken to make the most of life.
There is a time for everything – Yesterday I was twenty years old, and today I’m 43. Life is so fast that it can pass you by – it is made up of small steps that lead us far from home or closer to the heart of God. How could I be drawn so far away from the source? I had no idea how timely it was and marvel at how God somehow works, guides, and leads even when we don’t know it. And, even though we don’t deserve anything at the time.
Text: Time of Solitude - I’ll never forget one of my first readings before the congregation as a little boy. …Within this Psalm we find the key to making the most of this short life, and not letting ourselves slip away.
(2 3 TEXT) “Blessed” is the man, woman, kid, teenager, grandparent, etc. – (church)
TS] “Look both ways”…Look more than both ways …
I. : Look around (How are you being influenced?)
A. Verses 1 & 2 (Only 2 ways!)
1. No one has to drill in bad things to our kids to teach them to do bad things. The world just naturally does that. No one had to teach those who murdered a man downtown Statesville – people do have to be taught to love.
2. TV? – television has influence or companies wouldn’t spend billions of dollars each year on advertisement.
3. Either proactive in surrounding our self with good or we are inundated with what is bad.
4. Like: sitting in a canoe on a river – if I don’t paddle I’ll be carried down stream like it or not.
B. Enough about them what about me?
1. How proactive am I in making sure I’m getting some good influence?
2. How much time do I spend feeding myself with good compared to just letting the world carry me away.
C. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in His Law he meditates day and night.
1. How does God’s influence in my life compare with the worlds? And we wonder why we struggle?
2. Meditate = To delight, remember, muse, consider, search out, ponder
3. His Word reveals Himself (therefore) our meditations are time with God.
TS] Don’t forget where this is going – the purpose is not to know the answers in Bible class, but to know God and God is the source of a blessed life.
II. 5 Look inside (What are you becoming?)
A. Verses 3 & 4 (Character)
1. The person who fills himself with God will bear fruit, prosper, and always be full of life.
2. Fruitful? – Good things, good impact on the world around you, spread His light.
3. Durable – When life gets tough, when the storm comes, this person survives and stands strong.
B. Jesus – Parable of the house built on the rock. (Mt 7)
TS] Don’t forget where this is going – the purpose is not to know the answers in Bible class, be popular with people, but to know God and God is the source of a blessed life.
III. 6 Look ahead (How will you be judged?)
A. Verses 5 & 6 (we are not the judge / we are the judged)
B. Story: Dr. Ian Paisley, the fiery Irish cleric and politician was reputed to have been preaching one Sunday on the End Times - and in particular on the Day of Judgment. As he reached the climax of his address he said that on the Day of Judgment "there would be wailing and gnashing of teeth".
At which point an old woman put up her hand and said "Dr. Paisley, I have no teeth" Paisley replied "Madam, teeth will be provided"
C. Judgment text
1. 2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
2. Matthew 7:22, Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
D. Psalm 1 – Present element, not all is future related.
1. Regrets = present judgment on past choices
2. Church – are we going to look back on our first VBS and be encouraged by our efforts to do something special & spectacular for our kids?
3. TCK – Children & Family Memories – etc. (Life/time has its own judgment)
TS] Life is determined not by chances but by choices.
A certain courthouse in Ohio stands in a unique location. Raindrops that fall on the north side of the building go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while those falling on the south side go into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. At precisely the point of the peak of the roof, just a gentle puff of wind can determine the destiny of many raindrops. It will make a difference of more than 2,000 miles as to their final destination. The spiritual application is clear. By the smallest deed or choice of words we might set in motion influences that could change the course of others’ lives here and now and could also affect their eternal destiny. Our Daily Bread, June 12, 1994.
The words of Eleanor Roosevelt ring true: One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
Tim Kimmel, Little House on the Freeway, p. 143.
Life is determined not by chances but by choices.
