Country singer Tim McGraw had a great song a couple of years ago called, "Live Like You Were Dying".
The song was written in relation to his father Tug, and his diagnosis of cancer which led to his death a couple of years ago.
He brings up a very interesting point in this song…what would you do if you found out you were dying? How would you live?
Would your life be different? Would you take more risks? Would you take less risks?
I saw an interesting commercial on TV last night, it said 3 things are certain: death, taxes and cable rate increases!
Actually only 1 out of the 3 is truly correct…death. Taxes can be avoided, and at times are. Cable rate increases, for most people, they can live without cable. But as for death…death is batting a perfect 1.000. In fact, in this room, there is a 100% possibility that we are all going to face death at sometime.
So basically, what it amounts to is the fact that we are all dying. Think about it, from the time we take our first breath…our bodies begin the process of dying. It may take 90+ years for some, it may take 50 for others, and still others may never see their high school graduation.
Kind of morbid to think about, isn’t it? But I think this is a concept that we need to grasp hold to because none of us here are immortals. And unless Jesus returns in our lifetime, we are all facing the possibility of death.
So, my question is, what are you going to do with life? How are you going to live, knowing that death is impending?
The Apostle Paul is someone who constantly faced the reality of death. From day one of his walk with Christ, he had a very large target on him as he boldly proclaimed the Gospel of Christ. Today, I want to look at what Paul says about the thought of dying.
Read Text Phil 1:21 and pray
The song we listened to early looks at how to handle the prospect of life and death from a physical or humanistic point of view. Basically, how can you live life to the fullest in the time that you have.
There isn’t anything wrong with this…but it isn’t all right either.
In the 17th century, and English pastor by the name of Richard Baxter found out that he had been stricken with a sickness that meant it was only a matter of time until his young life would end. In response to this he took some time off, an extended retreat, to evaluate his life and see what God had in store for him.
His conclusion was summed up in a quote, “Preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.”
What he realized was similar to what we find in Phil 1:21, basically, that we should live like we are dying.
Should we live like we are dying? Yes, we should
So then, how should we do that…there are three keys to living like we are dying:
1. Celebrate life.
For the Apostle Paul, every day he was able to breathe another breathe, it was something to celebrate.
Paul’s life was not the type you would find as an example in the book, “How to win friends and influence people.”
In Acts we see where Paul was a persecutor of the early Church, a Pharisee who was considered a “Hebrew of Hebrews”. His disdain for Christians even placed him at the stoning of Stephen, an early deacon and one of the first martyrs of the early Church.
His conversion is widely known as the “Damascus Road experience” and from that point on his life was changed drastically. His life was now for Christ.
In Gal 2:20 Paul wrote, “I have been crucified…”
Every where he went, his life was in danger…he survived everything from being stoned to a ship wreck. He knew what it was like to face death.
And because he did face death, he celebrated life and took joy in the fact that he had life in Christ and could share that with others.
If we want to celebrate life, we should:
a. Have life:
Read 1 Cor 15:54-5-, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus Christ by His death on the cross has defeated sin…we no longer have to be shackled.
And by His resurrection He has defeated death…we can now live for ever.
All we have to do is accept the gift of life he offers us!
Paul wrote 2 Cor 6:2, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
Am I trying to scare you into making some kind of decision concerning Christ? No, but I do want you to see the reality of what is to come…and we never know when life will end.
Who knows EXACTLY what tomorrow holds?
That is why the gift of life should be accepted today.
b. Share life:
Not only are we supposed to accept the gift of life, we should not keep it to ourselves.
Read Mark 9:2-9, the reason Jesus would not have the shelters built is because His message was not one to be kept inside the Church.
It needs to go out into the world.
Today and this week, when ever you talk to someone…think of them from the point of view of one who is dying. What if they died today? Do they know Christ?
Celebrating life means that we not only have accepted the gift, but we are sharing the gift also.
First key to living like we are dying is celebrating life, and then we need to:
2. Take care of what is important.
Basically it is a matter of stewardship, and before you start protecting your wallets in fear of another offering, let me explain how it goes well beyond money here.
Matt 25:14-30, the Parable of the Talents.
A master gives one servant 10 talents, 5 to the second and 1 to the third before leaving.
The fact is, God has placed in positions in life for a reason, it is not an accident.
We need to take advantage of those situations to the maximum.
What are you positions in life:
• Parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grand parent?
I would be foolish to think that my only reason for being a parent is provide my kids with an allowance and hope that they are being raised right. God has bigger plans…and I need to take care of my family: Physically, emotionally and spiritually.
• Employer or employee
You ever ask God, “Why are you surrounded by so many pagans at your job?”
• Student or teacher
This isn’t just a point to re-emphasize the need to share the Gospel with others, although that is part of it.
He wants to invest your life into the lives of others so that needs can be met.
• Prayers the need to be prayed
• Hugs that are needed at the right time
• A small donation to help someone in need
How can God use you? That is the question that needs to be in the forefront of our minds: How can God use you?
• At your job
• At your school
• In your home
• In your church
We all have gifts, talents and skills that when combined is like no one else. You are a “10” in some area (on a scale of 1-10).
God has us in our positions in life to be used by Him.
Unfortunately, too many of us assume this position (go to chair and point the remote control).
What has God called you to do? Are you doing what God has called you to do?
If we are going to live life like we are dying, we need to celebrate life, and we are going to take care of what is important, and finally we need to:
3. Glorify God in all things.
Read 1 Cor 10:31-11:1
Ultimately, what ever we do, as a Christian, speaks volumes about the Savior whose name we bear.
Because of this, God deserves our best, and He should be honored in glorified in all that we do.
He is not expecting perfection, because only He is perfect…but He expects for us to shoot for that as those who have been brought from death into life by His grace.
Think about: We are sinners by nature and deserving of hell, God sent His Son to pay for our sins so that we can have eternal life…doesn’t He deserve to be honored by our lives.
This is the very nature of what Paul said in Phil 1:21, for me to live is Christ.
All that I do, is about Jesus Christ.
All that I say, is about Jesus Christ.
All that I could want, is about Jesus Christ.
My life is for Christ, and it should honor Him alone!
Conclusion: I wish this message was original, but I really can’t take credit for it.
While I’ve never heard this preached anywhere, I didn’t find it from an online sermon site, or anything else…but I witnessed it being lived out..
It began with a phone call nearly 3 years ago. I got a call from a friend in college one day at home, she asked me when was the last time I talked to Bro Larry (BSU director at Jones Jr College, my mentor, my father in the faith). My response was that it had been a couple of months, I was due a phone call to him…she said, you need to call him, his cancer is back and they don’t expect him to life.
As soon as I could collect my thoughts, I called BL and asked him the obvious, “How are you doing”…he said, “Bobby D, things aren’t good…”. He shared with me how the cancer that had taken his eye a few years before had returned and at a much greater extent. He talked about the few treatment possibilities, but said that he wants to see me and it would be best to plan a trip down ASAP.
Before hanging up he shared with me 3 prayer requests:
1. That God would heal him…a reminder to me that I would celebrate life.
2. That his family would be taken care of…a reminder to me that I should take care of what is most important
3. That God would be glorified during this time, this was the most important to him…a reminder to me to glorify God in all things.
Our trip to see him was planned for Feb 2002…just a week and a half before our scheduled trip, my wife called me while I subbed at a local middle school and simply said “BL died this morning”.
Phil 1:21 was his life verse, and his death verse. He lived it out, until his dying day.
What does tomorrow hold for you? Who knows…but you can determine what today will be like right now.
