summary on life

Living it up: Part 5- Summary on Life                                                     Friday July 9, 2010
Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 and 13,14 John 6:66-69
 

I. Summary on life: Two Conclusions:

a)Life without God:
Solomon’s first conclusion is mentioned in the very opening verses 1:2 of the book of Ecclesiastes and he concludes the same in 12:8 “Meaningless, Meaningless, everything is meaningless”. Vanity, vanity all is vanity.

He tried all experiments with life to find happiness in achievements, great education, advancement of his skills, wealth, music, harem for pleasure and unrestrained indulgence in whatever his eyes saw and his hands found.
-He concluded, all this was meaningless and a chasing after the wind.

b)Life with God
The other alternative to life’s conclusion Fear God – Keep His Commandments. 12:13, 14
Now all has been heard- Nothing more to say; here is the conclusion of the matter Life with God is meaningful.

II. The Decision to Follow God:
The most important decision on life.
-The decision to include God in your life must be taken in the right time. Ecclesiastes 3 spoke of “Time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.” 3:1 Time to be born, to die, to plant, to uproot, to kill and to heal…… “He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time.” 3:11

He has placed eternity in the heart of man. Man has been given the capacity to Choose God in the time when God makes him conscious. Do not wait too long.

III. Here is the advise of the Philosopher: Remember: Your Creator – In the days of your youth. -Before the trouble come and the years approach when you will say “I find no pleasure in them.”
-Remember God and enjoy many years of life with him. Do not waste time.

Reflects on time when age has advanced. Description of old age and death.
*The keepers of the house – The house is the body. The keepers are the arms. *The strong men stoop or tremble. -The legs tremble – cannot bear the weight of the body.
*The grinders (teeth) cease because they are few.
*Those looking through the window (The eyes) grow dim or become dark (blind). *The doors (the mouth and the ears) are closed.
*The sound of grinding (gums) fades. No teeth.
*Rise up (awaken from sleep) at the sound of birds or faint music. -Have a light sleep. Short spans of sleep. Any sound wakes them up.
*Afraid of heights (Literally or afraid to meet God on high)
*Afraid of dangers in the streets. -Afraid of journey or travel or fear of the valley of the shadow of death.
*The almond tree blossoms. The grey hair fall in abundance like almonds.
*The grasshopper drags on. The least weight like the grasshoppers is hard to carry. *The desire is no longer is stirred. Appetites and passion will subside.
*The silver cord (spinal cord) is severed or loosed.
*The golden bowl (the skull is broken.
*The pitcher (the heart) is shattered. Literally before you kick the pitcher or bucket. *And the Dust (the body) returns to the ground.
*The spirit (the soul, the spirit, the life) returns to God.

The Reality we will all face. This is the vivid description of a reality that will come to all if we life long enough to see them. The body has grown weak and nothing seems enjoyable anymore. -The time will come when you lie on bed and say was life really meaningful. ???

The Body will die, the Spirit will rise. We believe in resurrection. WE believe resurrection is for all. All will rise.

IV. Remember your Creator, remember Life without God is meaningless. Remember your creator before this time comes on you. The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. -The utmost responsibility of man on earth. Under the sun. Under heaven 29 times in this otherwise meaningless 37 times.

Remember before it is too late. Don’t wait for this realization to come on death bed. When you can hardly make decision to bring changes around you. -When you are at a point of no return. When in senses, Return to God.

For God will bring every act, and deed to judgment. 11:9 “Be Happy young man, while you are young and let your heart give you joy in the days of your life. Follow the ways of your heart whatever your eyes see but now that For all these things God will bring you to judgment.”

V. Choose Jesus – Choose life: John 6:66-69 Many disciples left him. 6:60 Their reason, “This is a hard saying, who can accept it.” Hard to accept his words. Context of feeding the five thousand. John 6:25-69 Life, live, living 17 times.

They looked for Him – They followed him – Why? Vs. 26 “You are looking for me not because of miraculous signs but because you are and you were full. You were fully supplied.
-Do not work for food that spoil but that endures. The Bread of Life. That food is Jesus. The Bread greater than manna sent by God.
-On Him God the Father has his Seal of Approval. 27
-Seals are put upon food products to ensure safety and values. BSTI or FDA.
-God himself has set the seal of approval, He is the food that all need to have life.

They have a spiritually tricky question, What must we do to do what God requires. Spirituality always tied to what to do. Jesus replied, “God;s work is to believe in Jesus.” It is not doing but a relationship. 28,29

They asked for sign so that we can believe. See and believe. The Bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives LIFE to the world. Vs.33

I am the bread of life, He who comes to me will never be hungry. Vs. 35 I came down not to do my will but Father’s will. What is the Father’s will??? -That everyone who looks to the son and believes in Him shall have eternal life. 40

The bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 51 Unless you eat this bread, you have no LIFE in you. 53 Just as Living Father has sent me, I live because of the Father, you will live because of me. 57 -the Word I have spoken to you are spirit and they are LIFE. 63.

All the followers first of all they look and came, vs 25, they grumbled 41, they argues 52 and they turned back and left 66. The progression of journey away from life. AS a result ------

6:66 They turned back and no longer followed Him. They follow for a while as long as it seems good to them and their own wills but whenever God touches on the nerve, they leave. -People today reject Jesus for the same reason. Hard to follow his teaching and follow your own will as well. They prefer to choose their own will.

In refusing to follow Jesus, they refuse true meaning of life. Whoever has the son, has life, whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12

Jesus turns to His intimate disciples – What about you? -Jesus would often turn to his disciples to take their response. What about you? -You do not want to leave too like others?

Simon Peter answered, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Lord to whom shall we go? There is no meaning to life without you. No other way. He knew Jesus is the only way to life. He is the narrow road that leads to life.

WE believe and We know. Believe what you know and the more you believe, the more you will know that He is the Holy one of God.

Choose Today: Deuteronomy 30:19 “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your Life and he will give you many years in the land he swore….”

God is our life. He has shown us the Path of life. Ps. 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life….”

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Ps. 23:6

“In this way, they (people of God) will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they make take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:19

What a promise for Life in God. Choose God, choose Jesus, Choose life, Today!

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