Facts Of Life Series

1. Jonah and Professor

You probably heard about the lady who was riding on a crowded bus. She was quietly reading her Bible when a rather distinguished looking man took the seat beside her. After a while he noticed her reading material. He introduced himself. “Hello, I am Professor Smith. I teach philosophy at the university. Don’t tell me you actually believe that stuff you are reading?”

“I certainly do,” the elderly lady replied. “Every word of it.” “Even that story about the Jonah and the whale?” challenged the professor with a smirk. “Of course,” was the quick reply. “Can you prove to me that the story is true?” he asked next.

Knowing what she believed but also knowing she wasn’t about to win any arguments with the professor, she simply said, “Well, when I get to Heaven, I’ll ask Jonah.” The professor smiled, “Well, what if Jonah’s not in Heaven?” The little lady laid her Bible down, looked the professor square in the eye and sternly declared, “Then you can ask him!”

2. The Bible makes many claims that may seem beyond our wildest dreams

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18

3. Last week I mentioned the hints or reinforcements of nature to teachings in the bible – today I want to mention the idea of our actions through the day; sleep at night; waking to a new day are demonstrations of life-death-and resurrection for us.

4. Consider the following biblical “Facts of Life”:

I. The Fact of Life

A. Life is a Gift from God – Genesis 1-2

1. Unalienable rights come from GOD

2. Not from Governments

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence

B. Life is a Journey with God

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Acts 17.26-28 (addressing the Areopagus regarding Unknown god)

1. The Journey is Brief (James 4.14)

2. The Journey is Challenging – “Man who is born of a woman

is few of days and full of trouble. Job 14.1

3. The Journey is fulfilling – John 10.10

After the "Cold War" was over, a squadron of Russian pilots was invited to participate in tactical war games at a U.S. Air Force base. A gala dinner was planned by the Base Commander. Thinking to relax the guests, he offered a WW II toast to open the meal. Smiling, he lifted his glass and said, in Russian, "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die."

The Russian pilots became very quiet and they hardly ate; most left quite early. Thinking they didn't care for the food, the Commander asked a Russian pilot what went wrong.

"Well, comrade commander," he said, "I thought it was going well until your toast. I don't know what you were meaning to say, but what came out was 'Feast, drink and make happy, for tomorrow we will kill you'."