Sermon: What will be “your” famous last words?
The Last Words of David…
2Sa 23:1 And these are the last words of David, the saying of David the son of Jesse, and the saying of the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet singer of Israel:
2Sa 23:2 The Spirit of Jehovah has spoken by me, and His Word is on my tongue.
2Sa 23:5 For is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things, and sure; for all my salvation, and all my desire, …will He not make it grow?
The last works of David…
1Ch 18:14 And David reigned over all Israel, and he executed judgment and justice among all his people.
My sermon text reveals the last printed words of David, King of Israel. Last words will many times reveal the passion or the purpose of a person’s life.
Do you remember Jesus’ last words on the cross just before he died? “IT IS FINISHED”
What was finished? ---His Mission. The Father had sent Him on a mission to die for sin; He had completed that mission and is now returning to the One who sent Him.
When a believer dies, their mission is finished, and they return to the One who sent them.
Eccl. 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
The greatest example of that as of late is, that on January 17, 2021, my own mother finished her mission on this earth. Her Famous Last Words to me came in the form of a Text when she was too weak to talk. She wrote “Nealy, I love you dearly…All of you!”
The Apostle Paul’s last words are found in 2 Timothy 4 as he speaks to Timothy…
2Ti 4:2 preach the Word, be urgent in season, out of season, convict, warn, encourage with all long-suffering and teaching.
2Ti 4:3 For a time will be when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts, they will heap up to themselves teachers tickling their ears;
2Ti 4:4 and they will turn away their ears from the truth and will be turned aside to myths.
2Ti 4:5 But you, be clear-minded in all, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully carry out your ministry.
2Ti 4:6 For I am already being poured out, and the time of my release is here.
2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.
Those famous last words by Paul are beautiful last words, don’t you think?
I read somewhere that the most important marking on a gravestone is the Dash between the Dates. Because that is the time you live your life between your birth and your death.
Paul’s last words were words of encouragement to young Timothy, a protégé who will carry on the gospel after Paul has died.
Gene Cornelius was my High School baseball coach. He left several impressions on me that I can say are not only Famous Last Words, but life lessons. I remember one day at the Saltillo field, a man was cursing and swearing. Gene didn’t say anything until He heard Jesus’ name used in vain. As Gene was umpiring behind the plate, he called time out, turn to that man and said this, “you can curse and swear all you want at your house, but when you are here with other people and children, if I hear you use My Lord’s name in vain one more time, you will leave this place.”
I attended the funeral of Fred Hamman after he passed. At the funeral several people read letters that were found in Fred’s chested drawers, that he had written to God. They started out…Dear Jesus, and they ended, Love Fred. They talked about the weather and what was going on with his treatments. They were just random thoughts that Fred felt like sharing with his Lord. They were so sweet and so sincere, and so beautiful. l never forget that. To me, those were Fred’s famous last words.
The last words of King David were not actually on his death bed but were the last recorded poetic psalms of David. David went on living for a while as explained in Chapter 24 of 2 Samuel. Those words are of David in deep distress and in desperate need of repentance.
Do you believe in “deathbed” repentance? Many Christians do not.
I truly believe that if God didn’t forgive at the last minute, the section of scripture with the thief on the cross would not be in the Bible, where Jesus promises the thief that, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” I knew some people that waited until the end, and I believe that the angels sang glorious songs when they accepted Christ before they died. I also know others that have said things like – “Don’t you dare, pray for me!” or they would laugh in my face when I tried to share Christ. …and that, my friends, is very sad.
I have a book in my bookcase at home titled “Famous Last Words of Saints and Sinners.” Why do you think people are interested in other people’s Last Words?
Well, it is perfectly clear, when reading Paul’s last words, that he had no regrets whatsoever about his choice to follow Jesus Christ. Can people tell that you’re a Christian by the way you talk?
Odds are that yours or my last words will not become part of sacred scripture or historic literature, but they can still leave a legacy to others who know you, testifying to your faith in God, and being an encouragement to others, like Coach Gene or Fred Hamman were to me, or King David to the world.
David was a good King, but David lived a violent life. He killed and had others killed. He was an adulterer. We’ve read about his victories and his defeats; about his joys and his sorrows. And not only David’s, but his children’s actions, as well.
David was a shepherd, a warrior, a romantic, a musician, a poet, and a prophet. But do you know what stands out to me, most of all about David, more than anything else?
It is because we can see something about ourselves in him. David was a man of many great qualities, and a man of many, many flaws. David encourages us and he disappoints us. Just like we encourage and disappoint each other.
I like to think I have some good qualities as a person, as a son, as a husband, as a dad, and as a worker at my job, as a Deacon in my church, as a Sunday school teacher, and even as a Lay Speaker.
But, I can also disappoint; because I’m flawed. I don’t want to disappoint, but I do. Paul said once that he “would like to know why he did what he didn’t want to do, and he didn’t do what he should do.” I think there is some of that in all of us, because we’re flawed.
But, through it all, David was a man after God’s own heart. Through it all, David was God’s anointed.
Something else that stands out about David…
David was a “Called Man.” Friends, listen to me this morning…Christians are Called Men; every male and female that gives their life to Jesus Christ, is then called to ministry for life. God sees that the second (Neal) gives his life to Christ, He opens up that heavenly drawer and grabs that file with (Neal’s) name on it and says, “let me see what (Robert Neal Gracey) will be doing from this point forward to further the gospel of my Son!”
BUT, for some, although they are called, they don’t always listen. It took me awhile. Not only awhile; I needed a couple re-starts before my ministry made sense to me.
Another thing, although we are called, are we guaranteed success? No, we are not. One of David’s greatest goals in life was to build God a temple? It never happened.
The important thing is to answer the call and to hear God’s voice …for you.
Famous Last words are also known to speak Truth about the person: …for instance, let’s compare two other people’s famous last words:
Joan of Arc – “Hold the cross up high so I can see it through the flames.”
P.T. Barnum – “How much money were the gate receipts?”
Which of these two would you choose for your gravestone?
Sadly, too many Christians today are living by PT Barnum, how much money were the gate receipts and not by Joan of Arc, Hold the cross up high, so I can see it through the flames.
Much of David’s reign as king was a disaster. There was scandal, family crisis, insurrection, civil war, and famine. On the other hand, David’s son, Solomon’s reign seemed perfect. Peace, prosperity, prominence, glory; YET, the Bible has nothing but praise for David’s reign. Why?
The difference between David and Solomon was found in their relationships with God. David’s passion his entire life was to simply be with God, while Solomon’s was personal improvement.
David’s relationship with God was the reason why David was Israel’s greatest king, and the most prominent ancestor of Jesus Christ. We all know someone with much wealth and no relationship to God. We also know people who live with little money but have great faith.
Ever heard of Karl Gutzlaff? He was the first Lutheran missionary to China. And he died a very disappointed man at the age of 48. But the ministry he formed, later sent out J. Hudson Taylor, who opened the interior of China to the Gospel. And Gutzlaff’s writings touched a British doctor, David Livingstone, who later opened the interior of Africa to the Gospel. Gutzlaff died with a sense of failure, yet his work created a ripple effect resulting in waves of missionary growth on two continents.
Friends, sometimes we need to make some waves if we’re going to create ripple effects that are going to outlive us. Remember this, if you keep splashing around in the work God has given you without losing heart, you will make some waves for His glory that will ripple farther than you could ever know. IN Hebrews we read that hundreds maybe thousands of Followers of Christ never got to see the benefits of their ministries. But received it in Glory after their death.
In closing--- Let me just share the simplest verse on the Resurrection I have ever read. “Verily, truly, unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains dead and alone; but if it does die, it produces a great harvest.” (John 12:24)
Church – Every person has a purpose for living. The tragedy of all tragedies would be to live and die and never find that purpose; The tragedy of all tragedies would be to live and die and never find the God ordained purpose for serving your generation.
No matter how flawed we are or how many times we fail, it is your relationship with Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, that will dictate to the world, to your community, and to your family and friends (pause)…YOUR FAMOUS LAST WORDS! Amen
