Forever Moments

Forever Moments

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Matthew 6:19-21; First Timothy 2:3-4

The title of my message this morning is “Forever Moments.” This message was inspired by a message that my brother delivered at his church on last Sunday.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 records the following: “(1) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. (3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up. (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. (6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. (7) A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak. (8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

This morning I will be utilizing some props to help you visualize what the message is saying. Let me explain the props that you see on this table. First there are bookends. For today’s message, one bookend represents the day we were born and the second bookend represents the day we die. Solomon said “(1) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. (2) A time to be born, and a time to die….” This is what the bookends represent. Now the space in between the bookends represents the life we lived between the time we are born and the time we die. Again, when you consider what Solomon said, there is a time for everything that we experience in this life. We experience seasons in life that are defined by certain experiences that we are having or that are similar to an experience we have had in the past. Solomon said that there is a purpose for our time – our time here on earth right now, not in the future, but right now – under the heaven. Finally the books you see will represent moments and experiences (the time) that we have while we are on earth. As I go through this message this morning you will see me move books between the bookends to represent certain moments and experiences typical of a life lived here on earth.

I want you to think about the title of this message – “Forever Moments.” This title, on the surface, does not make sense simply because of the definition of the two words. The word “forever” in the Encarta dictionary is defined as, “for all future time.” In other words, it will not stop or cease to be. The Encarta dictionary defines “moment” as, “a very short interval of time.” Now if one is defined as non-ending and the other is finite, meaning it has a beginning and an end, how can “forever moments” exist? “Forever Moments” are possible because the editors of the Encarta dictionary, and probably all of the other dictionaries, didn’t remember or know what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 – “…with God all things are possible.” Let me show you why this is possible with God. Turn with me to Matthew 6:19-21. It reads, “(19) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Jesus said that we are to lay up or put in store for ourselves treasures in heaven? The treasures we lay up or put in store on the earth will decay over time and are subject to being taken away from us by others. Also, when we die, all of the treasures we have stored here on earth remains behind. We cannot take it with us. We leave it here. First Timothy 6:7 says, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” So everything that we treasure and store up on the earth remains behind for others to enjoy when we leave here. Jesus said that we should store up treasures in heaven where it does not decay and where others cannot steal from us. Now this is what I want you to consider. How do we store up treasures in heaven? Through the experiences we have here on earth. You see, some of our moments here on earth are forever moments while others are not.