Remember When

Intro

A study revealed that an average seventy-year-old man has spent twenty-four years sleeping, fourteen years working, eight years in amusements, six years at the dinner table, five years in transportation, four years in conversation, three years in education, and two years in studying and reading.

His other four years were spent in miscellaneous pursuits. Of those four years, he spent forty-five minutes in church on Sundays, and five minutes were devoted to prayer each day. This adds up to a not at all impressive total of five months that he gave to God over the seventy years of his life.

Even if this man had been a faithful churchgoer who attended Sunday school and three one-hour services per week, he would have spent only one year and nine months in church!

Be invested in God’s plan

even when we don’t know the details of it

Don’t wait

Time is fleeting, it does not go backwards

Remember Your Creator (1)

Creator

In Rev. remember your first love

Maker of the Universe

all its pleasures

the only Judge

your actions and words

Matt 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Seek Godly pleasures

Free will comes with consequences

Youth

thee days are limited

energy, enthusiasm, excitement

enjoy life

the excitement of coming to know Jesus?

brought joy

now have relationship with and the right to approach the throne of the creator of the Universe

Don’t let life get in the way

Don’t forget your first love

Go, do, be

go and enjoy life

do the things God has called you too

be Christ to the world

but you have your warning!

this message of Solomon geared towards the younger generation but all must heed its words

You are not getting younger. Get busy, be invested in God’s plan

while the windows shine bright

Remember Your End (2-5)

imagery here of an aging man

you are not invincible

earlier he said we all have the same fate

The Body falls apart

v2 apocalyptic imagery

Revelations of the lights of God created to shine in our dark world will go out. casting the world into forever darkness, and rain never ceases to fall.

Picture of personal anguish in one who knows his death comes

We get old, our bodies no longer how they once were.

hands shake; legs and back stoop; teeth fall out and grind no more; eyes like windows grow dim; hair turns white like almond branch; and fear cripples

picture of a funeral procession

Remember this!

when young we don’t think of these things

immortal, time runs slow, worry about these things later

how much time was devoted to God this week?

how many times did you share the gospel, encourage a brother/sister, be Christ?

how much time spent in God’s word?

how much time spent worshipping with church family?

time is limited

not meant to bring you down, but give you energy

go, do, be

Go and enjoy life

do the things God has called you too

Be Christ to the world

Remember Your Eternity (6-8)

Death comes for us all

pursuit of riches, accolades, empty words is futile

worldly wisdom leads to nothing but fleeting pleasures

seek after God’s wisdom: follow his commands

to dust we will return

made from and will return to it

Gen 3:19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

vanity of vanities

seeking after the world is pointless

In a year of craziness

value of family, value of church, value of faith in dark times

value of worldly things

nothing

we will all one day return to dust

picture Solomon has painted points to God

complete the painting

Conclusion

Dust is not our final form

Death is not the final end to those who are in Christ Jesus

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.