A Life Worth Living

• I used to really want my life to matter- I wanted to make a difference. Then one day I was thinking about if the the Lord tarries, 100 years from now- Who would remember my name. Better yet- who’d remember anyones name in 100 years. Who would get more than a paragraph in a history book.

• A handful of people. Pastors? Billy Graham would probably be the only pastor from this era to make the cut. The rest will be forgotten.

• READ Phil 1:19-21

• Which brings me to the title of Todays sermon- “A life worth living for”

What does it say

• Paul is in prison. He’s in chains. People are talking bad about him. He’s looking at his current situation and says- Its all going to work out. I know it. I’ve got Jesus. I’ve got so much hope that I know, nothing is going to make me ashamed that I believed. Jesus is going to magnified in my body in my death or in my life. If I live, JESUS. If I die- I WIN!

• Here’s what I get from this TITLE-A life worth living for

• Life- man- it’s a weird thing. Only been here 40 years, but learned a few things

• School. Work. Marriage. Kids. Grandkids. Retirement. Death.

• Few variations, but by and large, that describes most peoples lives in America.

• Job. House. Cars. Hobbies. Vacations. Death.

• Buy what we don’t need with money we don’t have. Keep it for a few years, take to thrift store.

• What makes life worth living? Its mostly fruitless and meaningless if its attached to the world.

• Go to the movies. Sporting events. Concerts. Buy something. Go somewhere. Eat Something.

• But its all fleeting. What was exciting last week is todays leftovers.

• READ Ecc 1:9 That which has been is what will be,That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.10 Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us.11 There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come By those who will come after.

• How do we find a life worth living for?

1. A life worth living for is in Jesus

• In this world of activities, functions, food and escapes- How can we truly find a life worth living? What can our life be centered around that will give us focus, meaning and value?

• I find it interesting how many famous people who have money and fame who have committed suicide or died from drug overdoses

• Ernest Hemingway, Vincent Van Gogh, Kurt Cobain, Robin Williams, Marilyn Monroe Suicide

• Chris Farley, Whitney Houston, Heath Ledger, Amy Winehouse, Elvis Presley, Overdose

• Had everything the world says you need- Money, Fame, Stuff, etc. It wasn’t enough

• Here we have Paul in Prison. In chains- He says

• 19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

• I’m not sure what kind of chains that he was in- but Paul looks at them and says

• I know that this will turn out for my deliverance

• People were talking bad about him- “I know this will turn out for my deliverance”

• I love reading Paul when he’s writing about Going through something

• He’s got this complete clear vision of what He should be focused on in the midst of his trials and pains- He knows that things are going to turn out OK

• Me? I make stuff up in my head to worry about- stuff that even if it came to pass it wouldn’t be that bad, but I work it up in my head to be much bigger than it is

• Summer of 2014- Go on vacation- clunk in transmission- worried about it going out- driving 3k miles. It’s a 200k truck. I get it. But its not like I’m jumping out of a plane

• I want Pauls perspective! I want every calamity that comes into my life to be under Christ!

• Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

• 1 peter 5:7 ESV Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

• 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight

• How was Paul able to do this?

• Through JESUS- Paul had met Jesus. Been forgiven of his sins. Transformed into a new creation

• Paul knew that only in JESUS would he experience it all to “turn out”