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?"
o then wasn’t sure that that still wasn’t about ME! Wanting to save myself pain (as I love them so much)
- was fascinated to hear other ’full of faith Christians’ expressing relief that they had an inoculation that week- with which I have no problem! I just thought, inside "you feel same as me, really!"
- The more I thought and prayed about it the less peace I had- (even though I wouldn’t hesitate with inoculation)
- Then I realised: this hasn’t even happened! It’s not a clear threat, yet! It’s the press… it’s hype… it’s the spirit of the age where bad news sells and everyone wants to protect against everything rather than trust God… and you’ve been sucked right into it!
In the end you have to make a choice, decision about who IS in control of your life… and who you are going to trust
- (while being proactive about life)
- But it’s more. It’s PUTTING them in control. Giving them the reins. REALLY
Billy Graham said: "Many people argue, "I do believe in Christ. I believe in the Church, and I believe in the Bible. Isn’t that enough? No! You must RECEIVE Christ. I may go to the airport. I have a reservation. I have a ticket in my pocket. The plane is one the ramp. It is a big, powerful plane. I am certain that it will take me to my destination. They call the flight three times. I neglect to get on board. They close the door. The plane taxis down the runway and takes off. I am not on the plane. Why? I "believed" in the plane, but I neglected to get on board. That’s just it! You believe in God, Christ, the Bible, and the Church - but you have neglected to actually receive Him in your heart. Your belief has been an impersonal, speculative thing, and you have not entrusted yourself to Him.
Contributed by: Stephen Wright on www.sermoncentral.com
So- to find your life, you have to lose it.
What does "losing your life" mean?:
- giving it up. Over. Yielding control. Taking yourself off the throne of your life and giving it to Jesus. Surrendering control, worrying, priority
And life comes!
- like nothing in this world. As you surrender you get saved. Give up you gain. Lose- find. Die- live
- you know it’s true. Our world is full of people living for life and dying on their feet because we weren’t designed to find life in anything but God
But listen- you can’t fool God on this one!
- You’ll get out what you put in. Reap what you sow
- Countless Christian feel they are going nowhere- but they fail to realise it’s because they are half-hearted
"Doing things by halves is worthless- it may be the other half that counts"
It’s all or nothing in this business. It’s either true: there is a God and Jesus is His Son our Saviour- in which case LIVE IT
- or it’s untrue- forget it!
have to make choices along the way about
- priorities
- what you’re going to live for (die for?)
- what/who is FIRST
And you have to make these repeatedly. Life is a journey/road- but it’s one populated by JUNCTIONS.. crossroads
- Some choices you don’t have to make again.
o They are not crossroads. They are milestones, markers
o Illustr: that’s what Baptism is about. Milestone. Public declaration to follow Jesus. "I never have to re-visit that! I have diecided to follow Jesus!" But many Christians won’t even decide to do that, now- and then wonder why their spiritual life is going nowhere.
o A fire-fighter performs one act of bravery in his career, and that’s when he takes the oath of office, after that, everything else is in the line of duty. SOURCE: Special Operation’s Chief John Moran, New York City Fire Department. Contributed by: SermonCentral PRO
- some choices you have to make repeatedly: who am I going to follow, here? Daily.
It’s all or nothing. This is shown in Jesus’ stories.
- (and he didn’t tell them to spoil our fun- but to help us find and make the most of the rest of our life)
LK 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
In an context where lots of people were SAYING they would follow Him anywhere Jesus said
LK 9:62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.
Similarly
LK 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
- Is Jesus saying we should actually hate these folks? Of course not! This is the bloke who taught us to love! It’s hyperbole and he’s saying- GO FOR IT. Don’t be half-hearted
GO FOR IT
Because not everyone does. Jesus says here "If anyone WOULD come after me"… literally ’if anyone resolves to come after me’
- because not all do
Listen to this:
I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please.
Wilbur Rees, from When I Relax I Feel Guilty by Tim Hansel
Contributed by: Joel Smith on www.sermoncentral.com
Many people.. Christians even, are like Kamikaze pilots who are on their 50th mission! They are involved- but half hearted. Never committed
Or like in the eggs and ham breakfast. They’re the chicken! The chicken is involved in that breakfast… but the pig is committed! Big time.
And for a good number of Jesus’ followers who listened on when said ’take up your cross’, ’the person who loses their life’- it was taken literally!
- now it won’t be, for us. But we’re all going to go that way one day. It’s unavoidable! Do you want to go leaving a real life and legacy behind you- or just money for your kids?!
- "I want to give my life for something that will last forever"
GET BACK
And here’s the promise of God on this.
- you’ll get back far more than you put in. God is no person’s debtor
In the future: For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
- This world and our lives do not go on for ever. A judgement and reward await us all as we stand before God.
o Just imagine what it’s like to hear "Well done, good and"
But there IS a reward in the present, as well. Here Jesus says ’some of you are going to experience the KOG soon!’ (transfiguration)
- And He also said LK 18:29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
You get back more than you put in. But you don’t discover this until you are fully committed.
- ? R.T. France once said, "Discipleship is not the result of an easy compliance, but of a deliberate and permanent decision."
As you give up- you receive
As you die, you live
As you lose, you find
As you give you gain
As the Book of Common Prayer puts it so astutely: "Whose service is perfect freedom"
That’s how you make the most of the rest of you life:
- give Him the reins
- make Him, Jesus, the boss… Lord
- submit to Him.. go for it! Be a wholehearted Christian
- and you won’t be doing it alone. He’ll give you the strength
And you’ll find life. Success.
Ninety per cent of success is finishing! . . .Endurance has two aspects: on the one side it means the commitment on our part not to give up, a determination to go all the way through; on the other side it has to do with God’s enablement. What God calls us to do, he gives us the grace to accomplish. His commands are at the same time his promise of victory.
-Floyd Mclung, The Father Heart of God.
