Your Bucket List
Turn with me to First Timothy 6. On Tuesday I will have a birthday. I mention that because the verse we’re going to read hit me in a different way – in a way that it has never hit me before. It reminded me that there are things that I probably need to go back and do a self check on.
The verse is First Timothy 6:7. It says, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
We brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we will carry nothing out. For some reason that verse has stayed with me for more than a week. I just keep coming back to it and thinking about it. As I think about this verse – “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” –the thing that stuck that has with me is that the first doesn’t say anything about what we leave behind. It says we don’t bring anything and we don’t take anything, but it doesn’t say anything about what we leave behind.
So our birth and our death are bookends for the days in between. Our birth and our death our bookends for the days in between – the days we are living right now.
Most people when they reach a certain age they start talking about a “bucket list”. Webster’s dictionary says a “bucket list” is a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.
Now, you may have seen or heard something different than I have, but whenever someone talks about a “bucket list”, I haven’t heard anyone reference something spiritual as part of their bucket list. It’s always material. It’s always something that they want to do in this world.
Did you know that God has a Bucket List for each one of us? This book (held up the Bible) is filled with experiences and achievements that God has for you. And what we’re going to do is look at seven things on God’s bucket list for us. I am just whetting your appetite.
What is one of the things on God’s bucket list for His children?
? Matthew 4:4 – “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Well, Brother Barry, why do you say That is a bucket list for God, for us? It’s because we have not achieved it. Can I get a witness? We have not achieved it. We are still not living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. So for God, that is a bucket list for us.
? ??John 17:21-23. A “bucket list”. Repeating the definition. “A number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime.”??????
One question that needs to be answered: “Why does God have a bucket list for us? If we achieve or accomplish the bucket list that God has for us, then what we read John 14:12. where Jesus says “the works that I do ye shall do also so,” will be a reality in our lives.
And ladies and gentlemen, God’s bucket list is going to be different for each one of us. I’m just pointing out some of the things that would be on God’s bucket list for all of us.
Now, John chapter 17 beginning with verse 21. Jesus is talking to the disciples Let’s start with verse 20. ??
(20) Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
Remember, we’re talking about God’s bucket list, what He wants us to experience and achieve in this lifetime.
?? ??????
(21) That they all may be [What’s the next word?] one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be [What?] one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
(22) And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be [Paused so the congregation could say] one, even as we are [Paused so the congregation could say]one:
(23) I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in [Paused so the congregation could say] one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Another one of God’s bucket list is for us to be one in Him like Jesus was one in Him. That is God’s bucket list for us. If we are one in Him the way Jesus was one in Him, the things that Jesus accomplished for the Kingdom we will accomplish for the Kingdom.
? Turn to Ephesians 5. And let me say here, ladies and gentlemen, God’s bucket list for us is a bucket list we must choose to seek, that we must choose to desire, that we must choose to want to achieve. Jesus had to make the same decision. He had to choose to align Himself with God’s bucket list for Him. Are you following me?
Ephesians chapter five, look at verse one. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;”
God’s bucket list for us is that we would follow Him. The word “follow” means “to imitate”. God wants us to imitate Him. Think about that ladies and gentlemen. He want us to imitate Him! That’s His bucket list for us! Is that your bucket list? I’m telling you what God’s bucket list can be for you, but you have to decide whether or not that is going to be your bucket list.
? Philippians chapter four. Philippians is full of bucket list material. Look at verse six. “Be careful [or be anxious] for nothing; [God’s bucket list for you is to be anxious for nothing.] but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
This is God’s bucket list for you. Ladies and gentlemen, when we get to the point where there is nothing that can pull at our emotions or our minds and make us anxious or fretful, God has someone who is working with Him. God has someone He can give instructions to that He cannot give anyone else. God want us to achieve this!
We live in a society and a culture right now that can make us anxious, but the Bible says “My God shall supply all your needs” – Philippians chapter four verse nineteen – according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. And our needs are not limited to money. If you’re struggling with something physical, that’s a need. If you’re struggling emotionally, that’s a need.
? 1 John 4:4. God’s bucket list. [Is everybody there? Say this with me: “Ye are of God.” That word “of” means God birthed you! He is your Father. God wants us to understand this as part of His bucket list for us. When we understand this the way Jesus understood that, Heaven is at your beck and call. 72,000 angels!] “Ye are of God, little children, [And because we are of God, what is he next phrase?] and have overcome them [The “them” are those mentioned in the first three verses.]: [And why have we overcome them?] because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your bucket list. The Bible says you are of God. The Bible never says that about Satan. He is a created being. You are born into the family! As a member of the family, God says your bucket list is that you are an overcomer.
? Romans 8:35-37 –
(35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
[This is not really a question that Paul doesn’t know the answer to. This is a question that comes after he has talked he says in verse 32 “He that spared not His own Son, but has delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? So it’s a question that like this: ‘God gave His Son for us, do you really believe that anything can now separate us from Him?]
Let’s pick up verse 35 again. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
(36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
(37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
God’s bucket list for His children is that we would become more than conquerors.
? The last one is First John 4 and like I told you in the beginning, these are just samples of things that God has stated in the Bible that are His bucket list for you. And I’m not even talking about the things that God gives to you in your quiet time, in your prayer times. I’m just talking about the things in the book. We’re going to begin with verse 9 in First John.
(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, [Here is His bucket list for us.] we ought [We are obligated.] also to love one another.
God’s bucket list for us is for us to see that we have a duty to each other, to love you. And the absolute best way we can love each other is to speak the truth in love to each other and that’s found in Ephesians 4:15.
How can we truly begin to see and understand the depths of God’s Bucket List for us? It begins with taking advantage of the “Moments of time” we have available to us. I am going to share with you something the Lord gave to me and I titled it “Moments of time.”
Moments of time
Every moment of time is used or not used. Every passing of the second hand will be productive or not productive. Every thought during the passing of time matters. Every thought during the passing of time is based on who you are or who you used to be [before being born again]. Every moment of time is a moment that you agree with who I say you are or it doesn’t.
Moments of time – so very crucial as you seek more and more to be who you are.
Moments of time – they can be robbers or they can be builders. They can rob you of understanding everything I have placed inside you. They can rob you of the very life you have. But moments of time can be builders each time you use them for Me.
Every moment you spend with Me, you are building.
Every moment you spend praying in tongues, you are building.
Every moment you spend worshipping Me, you are building.
Every moment you spend fasting, you are building
Let the moments build you. Don’t allow the moments to be robbers in your life.
