"How Can I Make The Most Of The Rest Of My Life?"- Lose Your Life To Save I

How can I make the most of the rest of my life? - lose your life to save it Mat 16:24-28

(An alternative talk for Alpha talk 14, for our Alpha Sunday ) WBC 13/11/05pm

Someone tells about a pastor who was late for church. He flagged down a taxicab and instructed the cabdriver to do everything within his power to get him to church on time. So the cab sped off and weaved through traffic for about ten blocks. The dangerous driving ended in a fatal accident. Both the cabdriver and the pastor died.

When their spirits arrived at the entrance of Heaven, they met Saint Peter. The Pastor, confident of his entrance into Heaven, allowed the cabdriver to go ahead of him. After chatting with the cabdriver, Saint Peter allowed the cabdriver into Heaven.

Then Saint Peter turned to the Pastor and said, "Pastor, I’m afraid I have bad news for you. You aren’t going into Heaven."

The Pastor, shocked at what he heard, asked, "Why would you let a cabdriver into Heaven and not let one of God’s servant into Heaven?"

To which Peter replied, "Well, whenever the cabdriver drove, people prayed. Whenever you preached, people slept."

"Rue de petit sermon.JPG" photo savdd in Ills to keep folder

Found by Gareth and Catherine bartlett in France. They write "We found it in Montreuil sur Mer, clearly they have a sense of humour as the town is not on the coast."

Well- the question of this morning’s talk is "How can I make the most of the rest of my life?" Have the best life possible? Gain life. Gain my soul

- I wonder if you want those things this morning.

well, I’m gonna tell you:

GIVE IT UP

It sounds crazy- as there just aren’t many examples in our lives of giving up so you can gain

- it’s mainly about getting so you can gain!

- There’s giving up smoking so you can gain a life…

- Chocolate to gain a waistline

- The sharp object from the toddler’s hand so it can be replaced with a toy

But the principle in the Kingdom of God is- you only gain your life by giving it up. If you try to save it, you will lose it.

But what does this mean? What does Jesus mean by ’seeking to save your life… or lose it’. Am I supposed to ’give up on life?’

- nope, not at all. This is not the means to LESS life… it is the means to MORE life… life in all its fullness

Saving or losing your life is a question of who is in control, and who is number one: you or God… Jesus

Seeking to save your life means:

- trying to keep control, for your sake. Trying to keep command

- you being number one. Boss. Thinking you know best. Know and can control the future

- trying to protect, fortify, build and control everything you can

- insure against any and every eventuality. Particularly things out of your control- so they come UNDER your control

- avoid all cost, suffering, discomfort, life events. Death even.

- Do what YOU want. * it’s all about you, basically

Jesus tells a story about someone trying to KEEP and CONTROL their life. It’s the best example you could find of what He means:

LK 12:16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

LK 12:18 "Then he said, `This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ’

LK 12:20 "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

What you discover is life is NOT predictable! Controllable. We are NOT Lords of our destinies. You can plan for EVERYTHING- but then the unexpected comes along. The more you try and insure against everything so you have peace- the more peace evades you.

- I’m not speaking against insurance… pensions… preparing for the future! Pam and I try and do those things very carefully

- It’s who you yield control to. It’s who you give the reins of your life to

Can I give you a personal illustration? Forgive me if it doesn’t apply to you. Maybe you are at a different phase of life. BIRD FLU

- 3 weeks ago I found myself thinking a lot about this. Anxious. Not for myself, surprisingly- but for my kids. "What if one of them got it?"