Berea Church of ChristWelcomes You

“the churches of Christ greet you”

(Romans 16:16, ESV)

What Is

Your Life?

What Is Your Life?

Question posed by James (4:14)

One of the greatest questions upon which to meditate

If we are live LIFE to its fullest…• Take advantage of its opportunities…

• Meet / overcome its challenges…

• Make wise, judicious use of it …

We must have a clear understanding regarding the answer to this question

What Is Your Life?

Simple definition, “the opposite of death”

Death is …• Separation of immortal spirit and fleshly body

• “…the body without the spirit is dead…” (James 2:26)

• Same definition given by Solomon

• “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Eccl 12:7)

Life, being the antithesis of death, is the union of the fleshly body and immortal spirit

What Is Your Life?

Technically correct, but fails to satisfy our intellectual curiosity

Life demands a more significant definition than “existence” …

• Defined in terms of service/devotion to God (not the ticking of a clock)

• Defined as quality of years (not quantity)

Bible supplies just such a definition!Consider some Biblical answers …

Life Is …

• “26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Gen 1:26-27)

• Note the affirmation of man being “created” (not evolved)

1. A Gift From God

Life Is …

• Man not a by-product of chance/happenstance

• Man is the result of intelligent creation, made in the image/likeness of God

• “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psa 139:14)

• “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen 2:7)

1. A Gift From God

Life Is …

• God expects that we live it to HIS glory, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt 5:16)

• God expects that we live it in HIS service, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl 12:13)

1. A Gift From God

Only by recognizing this fundamental truth can we fully appreciate our purpose/mission in life

Life Is …

• “1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3)

• Jesus has gone to prepare a mansion for every individual; conversely, every individual must make preparation in order to receive it!

2. A Period Of Preparation

Life Is …

• Affirmed in parable of the virgins (Matt 25:1-13)

• 5 were wise, 5 were foolish

• All took lamps/oil & went to meet bridegroom

• 5 wise “expected the unexpected” (extra oil)

• Bridegroom delayed; foolish exhausted oil

• Went to purchase more, bridegroom came, “and the door was shut” (Matt 25:10)

• Window of opportunity forever lost!

2. A Period Of Preparation

Life Is …

• So shall it be for those who fail to prepare!

• Time to prepare is now, “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2)

• Eternity hangs in the balance, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10)

2. A Period Of Preparation

Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people,

“prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12)

Life Is …

• A continual, daily struggle between the forces of right/wrong, good/evil

• Neutrality is not an option, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matt 12:30)

• One must choose whom they will serve, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other…” (Matt 6:24, NKJV)

3. An Epic Battle

Life Is …

• Enlisting in God’s army means …→ Follow orders (Acts 5:29)→ Mindful of our fellow soldiers (Gal 6:1-2)→ Knowledge of / respect for our enemy (1 Pet 5:8)→ Continually watchful / alert (1 Cor 16:13)→ Practice self discipline (1 Cor 9:27)→ Endure hardness (2 Tim 2:3)→ Be in the fight “for the long haul” (Heb 12:1)→ Fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12)→ Press forward, not turning back (Phil 3:13; Luke 9:62)→ If necessary, lay down life for the mission (Rev 2:10)

3. An Epic Battle

Life Is …

• Not left defenseless; God provides the spiritual armor necessary to win the day (Eph 6:11-17)→ Girdle (ie. Belt) of truth→ Breastplate of righteousness→ Feet shod w/preparation of Gospel peace→ Shield of faith→ Helmet of salvation → Sword of the Spirit (cf. Heb 4:12)→ No protection afforded for the back; press forward

3. An Epic Battle

You are enlisted in the service of one of two armies (army of God / army of Satan) – which is it?

Life Is …

• Noted that man was created in the very image / likeness of God

• As such, we are unique in that we have been given free volition (freedom of choice)

• Ability to think / reason one of the foremost distinctions between man & beast

• With this great freedom to choose comes great responsibility – we much choose wisely!

4. A Series Of Choices

Life Is …

• Fortunate that we are blessed with the freedom to choose; life is full of choices to be made!

• Each day, we make choices and every choice we make has an eternal significance

• None are inconsequential; never know which one might “tip the balance” of eternity!

• Napoleon, “In every battle there is a crisis, 10 or 15 minutes only, on which the outcome depends. To make proper use of this short space of time means victory, it’s neglect, defeat!”

4. A Series Of Choices

Life Is …

• “... seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness ...” (Matt 6:33)

• Only safe / sure method of deliberation

• Weigh every decision in the scale of eternity

• “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life …” (Deut 30:19)

4. A Series Of Choices

Need men of courage (like Joshua) to boldly lead homes / train children in the path of righteousness

Life Is …

• Simple statement but difficult to accomplish→ Cannot live for yesterday (already gone)→ Cannot live for tomorrow (no guarantee)→ Thus, today is the only one we can live!

• Jesus taught, “Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matt 6:34, ASV)

• For many, life becomes unbearable due to a failure to take this teaching to heart

5. To Be Lived One Day At A Time

Life Is …

• The dawning of each new days brings its own challenges, cares, anxieties, and troubles

• B.W. Johnson, “We should not foolishly increase our

present burden by borrowing trouble about to-morrow”

• If we fail to overcome worry & anxiety, worry & anxiety will overcome us!

• Serenity prayer, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”

5. To Be Lived One Day At A Time

Life Is …

• Story was told of a clock that stopped ticking …→ Became discouraged after enumerating the

number of ticks it had to make in a given year→ Knowledge that it would tick 31,536,000 times was

overwhelming / unbearable (clock gave up)→ Someone explained to the clock that it was only

required to make “one tick at a time” → Clock regained morale / resumed operation

5. To Be Lived One Day At A Time

Best preparation for tomorrow is to take care of the immediate needs of the present day

Life Is …

• The answer given by James in response to his own question

• Should not become overly enamored with this present world; Time here, at best, is fleeting

• “My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope” (Job 7:6)

• “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1)

6. A Vapor

Life Is …

• David was also aware of the brevity and uncertain nature of this thing called “life”

• “… truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death” (1 Sam 20:3)

• “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding” (1 Chr 29:15)

• Given that life is fleeting, what should this knowledge motivate us to do?

6. A Vapor

Life Is …

• “So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom” (Psa 90:12)

• Coffman, “This is a prayer that God will teach men to live as dying men should live, always taking account of the brevity and uncertainty of life and of the inevitable accounting before God in the final day. What a contrast is this with the attitude of many wicked people who live exactly as if they expected to live forever”

6. A Vapor

Life is fleeting, Death is certain, Judgment awaits – time to prepare is NOW!

What Is Your Life?

Review …• A Gift From God

• A Period Of Preparation

• A War / Battle Against Our Eternal Foe

• A Series Of Choices / Decisions

• To Be Lived One Day At A Time

• Fleeting (ie. A Vapor)

May God Help Us Live It To His Glory!

What Is Your Life?

Confession(Rom 10:9-10)

BAPTISM(Acts 2:38; 22:16)

Repentance(Luke 13:3,5)

Faith(Heb 11:6)

HearRom 10:17

Newness(Rom 6:4)

Add To Church(Acts 2:47)

Living Sacrifice(Rom 12:1-2)

Faithful To Death (Rev 2:10)

Christian

God’s Plan Of SalvationAlien

SinnerSinner

New Birth (John 3:3-5)Not the element of water; Faith in the operation of God (Col 2:12)“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16)

Erring Christian• Repent (Acts 3:10)• Confess (1 Jn 1:9)• Pray (Acts 8:22)