GOOGLE: What Are You Searching For?
Page 5: How to Upload My Life
As an elderly man lay dying, his Self-centered children began fighting over his money.
Not wanting to GIVE them any - He gathered his priest, his best friend and his attorney to his death bed. "I’m dying, and I want to take my money with me," he told them. "I’m giving each of you $100,000 in cash. You must swear that you will come to my funeral and place the money in my casket."
The man died, and all three attended the funeral service. Later they gathered to talk about their friend. The priest said, "I must unburden my soul. I could not bear to put all that money in the casket for eternity when so many people are starving. Instead, I took out $50,000 and gave it to help the poor."
BEST FRIEND then spoke up. "I couldn’t bear to bury that much money either. I took out $60,000 and gave it to the orphanage."
"I can’t believe you two!" the attorney exclaimed. "We had a sacred bond with our friend, and you two did not keep it. That is inexcusable. I will have you know that I kept my promise. I wrote a check for the full $100,000 and placed it in that coffin."
Hey – When you Die / CAN’T Take it With You /
“Never see a Hearse pulling a U-Haul"
Ever WONDER what will happen to all your STUFF when You Die? Young – Careless!
Solomon – Considered one of the Wisest Men who ever lived – Considered This
"There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born. And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry. Ecclesiastes 5:13-17 (NLT)
DEPRESSING!!
Does that Seem FAIR? Work all our lives for What?
Get Up – Go to Work – Come home – Go to Bed – Get up – START ALL OVER AGAIN.
Weren’t we Meant for SO MUCH more?
[SONG – Meant To Live]
Welcome - Last Week: Google: What are You Searching For?/ How to Upload your Life?
Most people are familiar with DOWNLOADING / But “UPLOADING”?
Main 2 Reasons People “UPLOAD” / #1 – Share Their Files / #2 – Protect Their Files
WHY? Because Sometimes Computers can be CORRUPTED / And so Can LIFE!!
“invest” - [GENERAL CONCEPTS]
A Similar Example to Downloading Can Be Found in LIFE / INVESTING!!
That’s Where you Take – Most Commonly your Money or Time or Talents (Abilities)INVEST in Something to Protect or To SHARE With OTHERS
Invest in STOCKS for Retirement / Invest Time in a Young Person – Take Over a Business
Invest Their Abilities in a CAUSE that they Believe in.
Like a Computer – they are UPLOADING their Time, Treasure, & Talents – Future Benefit
SECRET to Investing – Patience / Consistency / Repetition / Doesn’t require huge amount
JUST A FEW DOLLARS or FEW HOURS – Can Make Huge Difference
When it came to INVESTING – Solomon says “HUGE PROBLEM! . . .Naked You Were BORN - Naked & Empty You Will DIE!! Empty Handed!!
Sometimes with Nothing – Children / Work Your Whole Life – Can’t Take it With You . . .
OR CAN YOU?!?!
Bible says, While you Can’t take it with you . . . You Can . . . SEND IT ON AHEAD!!
UPLOAD Your Life’s WORK & Your Life’s EFFORTS & Your Riches to ETERNITY!!
Two Reasons To Uploading My Life
#1 To Protect My Eternal Existence
"Tell those who have the riches of this world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Tell them to do good, to do a lot of good things, to be generous, and to share. By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves which is a good foundation for the future. In this way they take hold of what life really is. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
“themselves” “take hold” - SEIZE
Encouraged to “STORE UP” treasure . . . in Heaven . . . & by doing so – SEIZE hold of Life
“OK!?! HOW?” By Taking the things GOD has Given You to Enjoy – INVEST Wisely!
What has God Given Us?
TIME: Equal Amount is Distributed to Every Person
TALENTS: Not Equal – BUT . . . Each one has the Ability to Develop – Great Potential
TREASURE: Though its a GIFT – Amount is OFTEN based on how well we Use Time & Talents
CHOOSE to Use These Gifts Variety of Ways: POSSESSIONS / POWER (Influence)/ PLEASURES / PEOPLE (Family / Community / Church = People) Attend a small group weekly TIME / Talent Read Bible Daily TIME & Treasure
Serve monthly TALENTS & Time
Invite Quarterly TIME & TALENTS & TREASURE
When you Invest Regularly you Secure Eternity Existence
"Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. .
2 Corinthians 9:6-8a (NLT)
ETERNITY – Often Don’t Think Much About it – Caught Up in the HERE & NOW
[Draw a DOT – Then a Line on your paper]
The Dot represents this life. The line represents eternity. We Either Live by the DOT or we Live by the LINE
Getting a fuller picture of life - an Eternal perspective - puts this life IN Perspective!!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. . . Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:5-6, 9-10 (NIV)
Only GOD CAN DO THAT!!
Not the bank / Not the Stock Market / Not LOTTO
Uploading Our LIVES To Protect & Secure Our Eternal Existence
#2. To increase my Eternal Riches (PEOPLE)
Let me Illustrate [Confederate Money]
If you lived in the south during the Civil War and were wealthy - say $100,000 - yet you knew the Confederates were going to lose the war, what would you do with your wealth? The smart thing would be to convert as much as you can into US currentcy, and keep only enough to live on until the war was over.
We KNOW what is going to happen to this world. It WILL pass away. So what are we doing with our "wealth": our time, our treasure, and our talents?
"Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, "Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten." 2 Corinthians 9:8b-9 (NLT)
“never be forgotten” - endure forever
How will it be that our “GOOD DEEDS” will Not be “FORGOTTEN”? They’ll LIVE ON in the Mind of GOD . . . and in the MIND of THOSE we Reach – CHRIST
Our Eternal Riches= PEOPLE! That is The Currency of Heaven . . . Relational IMPACT!!
Story of the Man – Just before He Died – Converted Earthly Wealth into Gold Bars - BAG. Upon Reaching the Pearly Gates – Saint Peter “You Can’t Take that in!!”
Man – “I MUST – Most important thing in this World. REPRESENT Who I am / I Must”
Peter – “Sorry, NO BAGGAGE Or Carry On ALLOWED!!” [Sounds like the Airlines]
Man – “Fine, I’ll WAIT Outside Until you Chance Your Mind – NOT GOING IN WITHOUT”
Finally – Saint Peter, “Let me See What’s So Important in The BAG – RISK ETERNITY”
LOOKED IN SIDE – Started Laughing –“You’d Risk Heaven for PAVEMENT!!”
We Can’t Take our POSSESSIONS Across the Line into eternity. We can’t our POWER . . . We can’t take our PLEASURE. Yet these are the thing we often expend our time, treasure, and talents on.
"Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. Matthew 6:19-21 (Msg)
NIV - “For Where your TREASURE IS – There your HEART WILL BE”
We Often THINK – We invest In What we have a PASSION For! NO NO!!
We Have A PASSION for What we INVEST IN!! Money Leads – Heart Follows
“Don’t Have Time to Volunteer - Fall FEST!” Never WILL! Time Leads / Heart Follows
“I Love Singing – Don’t Feel Like Singing in – CHOIR” TALENT LEADS / Heart Follows
What We INVEST IN. . . . Where We STORE OUR TREASURE - Will Capture Our Hearts
WHAT HAS CAPTURED YOUR HEART? Will It LAST – Or Will It FADE?
The things we’ve been talking about for the past five weeks Will NEVER be important Until YOU DO THEM!!
WOULD YOU COMMIT WITH ME That This Year – YOU’LL FOCUS ON FIVE?!?!
______________________________________________________
I WANT TO TALK TO THE ADULTS FOR A MOMENT!!
How many of you wish you could Go Back and Change your Life as a Child or Teen?
What If you could Go Back to Elementary or Middle School or High School . . .
AND IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE DEEPER WALK WITH GOD –Know God . . .You Could be Saved From Much of The Hell you Went Through – WOULD YOU DO IT?
It’s Easier to RAISE WHOLE PEOPLE - Then to FIX BROKEN PEOPLE!! AGREE?
We have an OPPORTUNITY to Invest In Our YOUTH / Every Weekend – Small School
100 Infants, Toddlers, & Preschool / 160-180 Elementary / 120-135 Middle & High School
OUR FACILITIES NEXT DOOR – NEED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
During the Christmas holiday, If Every Adult – gave $100 / Collect $70,000 / I know that not Everyone doesn’t HAVE that much, but if we each did what we were capable of doing, we could reach that goal.
So I’m ASKING – Pray Over the next Couple of Weeks / See what God would have you Do!
Begin RECEIVING – November 26th - NEW YEAR!!
"Don’t forget to do good things for others and to share what you have with them. These are the kinds of sacrifices that please God. Hebrews 13:16 (GW)
What’s your Next Step to the Next Level?
Invest in your Family & Friends
Invite a neighbor family to the Fall Festival
Invite 3 Friends next week to “Ready To Live”
Invest in the Children’s Christmas Offering
Invest Regularly
[The audio and graphic resources for this series are available at the website of Pinellas Community Church - www.PinellasChurch.org. Click the "PCC RESOURCES" link]
Song: Meant To Live
Fumbling his confidence
And wond’ring why the world has passed him by
Hoping that he’s meant for more than arguments
And failed attempts to fly, fly
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Dreaming about providence
And whether mice or men have second tries
Maybe we’ve been livin with our eyes half open
Maybe we’re bent and broken, broken
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
We want more than this world’s got to offer
We want more than this world’s got to offer
We want more than the wars of our fathers
And everything inside screams for second life
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live
We were meant to live
