How to Live and Die Well

You ever feel like you sort of fall asleep in the light.

I have a dog who likes to find the right window. The sun comes in and fall asleep. I look at the that looks very attractive. I love the sunshine this falling asleep and that sometimes we live in the light of the gospel truth and it's so easy to become drowsy and lethargic, and so Peter said I want to stir you up on a wake you up briefly from complacency. God wants to ignite a fire in your life that makes a difference for his kingdom today on connect with Skip Skip shares how you can build a life legacy that impacts the people around you outlives you before we begin, we invite you to catch Skip Sunday message live at nine and 11 AM at live.Calvary NM.that's nine and 11 AM at live.Calvary NM.sure. Now we want to let you know about a resource that will ignite a deep desire in you to pursue Jesus you know. Proverbs 31 go to passage that describes the ideal Christian woman in life. To be honest that ideal can be as intimidating as it is inspiring. Here Skip type that with more can I just tell you it's exhausting to just read that letter law. However, women could you ever do that. Let me say first of all, you can't do that in a day is not giving the 24-hour description of the virtuous wife.

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Get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer second Peter chapter 142 they stuck so much joy Skip the trip as we don't know when were going to die.

We don't have any kind of way to predict that exactly what you think about it you get real because you don't know what it's going to come and second because just thinking about it makes you live more wisely, is an example so you go to a lawyer are not picking on lawyers look to go to a lawyer and you have one hour with the lawyer.

He says this is going to cost you $250 per hour okay so the clock begins. Do you immediately ask him superfluous questions like, so tell me about your upbringing you could care less about his upbringing or her upbringing.

At that time you don't care about the weather what's going on you want to get your money's worth.

You want to make sure that in that hour, you're thinking about how much this is costing you.

You can use it wisely. So when you start thinking about your life in these terms, let you know what this lifetime.

Well it's costing me my life. You start thinking and planning so live with death in mind. That's the first two years. The second live your life like your camping out your camping out your you're doing something that is not permanent now want to look at the word that he uses. We've already seen it but I'm not zero in on twice uses the word tent in verse 13.

This is, I think it's light as long as I'm in this tent his body to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly. I must put off my tent just as the Lord Jesus Christ show me Peter uses the familiar metaphor of the human body being like what they in that time saw so often around that part of the world nomads traveling in tents temporary shelters on the way from one place to another place. So when a person dies. It's like taking down once tent to camping metaphor for those of us in the modern world. Peter didn't alone do this also spoke of death this way. Second Corinthians 5 we know Wright's call that if our earthly house. This tent is destroyed. The word literally means taken down.

We have a building from God house not made with hands, that is eternal in the heavens.

It's just interesting that the word both Peter and Paul used to describe the body is a tent I understand. For Paul, he was a tent maker. Peter was a fisherman, but he knew that metaphor that when you think of a tent you think of something temporary you think of something flimsy and you think of something that isn't really all that beautiful, which is very temporary show of hands, how many of you like to go camping honestly measuring you like to go camping okay hands down all those people to raise her hands, how many of you would like to go tent camping you like the tent better to hands the RV motel hotel yet safe. There's different ways to do it right so camping tent is very rudimentary.

It's down to basics camping and RV you still got 400 channels on television. If you want really not like roughing it is to get a bad shower stall of the stove don't get room service, but when you're in a tent you are down to the basics.

And that's the advantage of it because you boil life down to its irreducible minimum you realize how much stuff you can live without right, it's just the basics very helpful to be reminded of that sometime. Also the advantage of camping out in a tent is, you cannot wait to get home. If you are camping for very long ago.

Not me. I could be out here forever.

If you ever tried a long time.

I was once camping for three straight months I traveled around America and Canada in a tent while I was in the truck that had in the biped pitch a tent at night. It was wonderful. I'm glad I did it but you know what after three months I was done I could care less if I ever saw tent after that. Now I did go camping but it was a while you can't wait to get home you want to bad you want to shower you want real food, so I tent for that reason has an advantage. Our body like a tent is temporary and after a while I could tent the threads unravel and the flaps get torn and the tent leaks. Like all tents do what's amazing to me. What's interesting to me. I've always been amused at it.

We all have this tendency is the tendency to make our tent last forever, and so some people will surgically lift the tent flaps to make you look like you just bought the thing or die.

The threads that are unraveling because it looks so young, or at least they think it looks so young. I remind you of what James said. He said what is your life. It is a vapor that you, it appears only for a little time and then it vanishes away, so just think of the tent the body that you and I live in and compare that with this promise. Jesus said in my father's house there are many mansions. When I think I'm in a trade in the tent for building a mansion, give me the mansion because after a while living in this tent you're done with the tent not looking at lots of tense right now looking at lots of you. The real you is not your tent.

Your spirit is your the real you, that though the body is simply the means by which you can convey and relate and communicate with others. It's helpful, but after a while it ceases to be helpful becomes less and less helpful in conveying who you really are and one day when what we call death happens. The movers will come and you will move from one place to another. You will make your own Exodus of departure taking down of the tent and that is the best way to view death is not accurate to say of a believer he died she died. It is more accurate to say he moved. She moved into the everlasting kingdom prepared for you by the Lord. No wonder Paul when he writes Philippians is for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Only a believer can make that statement.

It's gain because the believer says for me to live is Christ now substitute Christ for something else for me to live is money to die is swell the lose it all for me to live is pleasure for me to die is to cease the earthly pleasure. Pleasure have to face the music of my life with God, but to safe for me to live is crisis is safer to die than is gain.

Paul goes on to say, to die is much better. So live your life like you're on a campground and don't make it all about my tent house my tent look to like a tent. However, you know that you can send supplies up ahead for your mansion.

Jesus, I don't lay up treasures for yourself on earth were mock rust can destroy, corrupt, and thieves break in and steal the lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. The idea of a thought that I can start decorating now intrigues me live with death in mind, live like you're camping out. Here's 1/3 key live for the benefit of others live for the benefit of others know here's what's interesting about the passage were reading Paul and Peter. As I mentioned, is in his 70s. He's getting older. The tent is unraveling. But it's clear where his energy and his focus is not on himself. His focus is on others. He's all about being motivated for others. As I look at chapter 1. This week I counted four times the word your peers in 11 times the word, the pronoun you appear he's doing this for them for you for yours.

There's just a sampling. Look at verse 11. If you don't mind for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly. Verse 12 for this reason I will not be negligent to remind you of these things though you know letter established in verse 13. I think it's right as long as I'm in this tent to stir you up. Peter is thinking about others. Peter is living for the benefit of others. Now he does it two ways.

One by reminding them of things that they already know and to my waking them up by reminding them in by waking them up.

First of all he wants to remind them peace as you arty know these things are established in the present truth, even though that's true.

I think it's right that I remind you of what you arty know a good teacher will do that.

So if you wonder I've heard this before, but the good thing Jesus would often repeat himself in his parables in his sermons. Solomon would do this in Proverbs David and Psalms are there would be certain themes that are repeated because a good teacher will repeat himself over and over again. I say that again a good nondescript. Here's why that is.

Here's why you need to be reminded simply because you forget and I forget virtually every study on learning I've ever found gives the most dismal statistics of retention do you know that the average person retains at best. That's if you're locked in a not looking at your cell phone right now, you're locked into the message, you will only remember 25% of this and some experts say only if you heard twice. So you have to listen to what I'm saying and get the tape or tape.

The electronic digital media provided and listen to it again to get a 25 or better percent retention of anything you hear that is very discouraging for a teacher. Can I just say that. However, you will retain 45%. If you see it and here it 70%. If you see it here it and do it. That's why we say get involved and connect groups small groups because the more you can interact over that truth and reinforce it, the better you will be at retaining so here's the thing I know I know you arty know the stuff but I just think it's right. I'm an old guy now and I'm reminding you of these things over and over and over. And that's good. It never had this experience I have where I better text.

I know the text but forgotten that truth and I get back to it over after several months or even years. I look and I opened up that section in my Bible and I see that I've underlined it. I might even have a note on the side of what I forgotten about it till now and just now this is so helpful to be reminded of that peters doing that he's bestowing them and reminding them. Second thing he's doing is waking them up.

Look at verse 13, that the word stir. Yes, I think it's right as long as I am in this tent to stir you up could be translated to arouse you or wake you up from your lethargy or your drowsiness. That's what the word means to awaken from drowsiness or lethargy you ever feel like you sort of fall asleep in the light.

I have a dog who likes to find a bright window or the sun comes in and fall asleep. I look at angle I do that, that looks very attractive.

I love the sunshine is falling asleep and that warmth sometimes we live in the light of the gospel truth and it's so easy to become drowsy and lethargic, and so Peter Sedona*you want to wake you up what I think he means. Here's what he's gonna write starting in the very next chapter you'll see he kinda he unleashes it, and he writes ahead on about the danger of false prophets and false teachers in the church and their need to be able to spot a fake when they see one or hear one to one sister them up. He's living for others to remind them as well as to stir them up.

But here's the greater point Peter is nearing his death his departure is near. He's in his 70s, but is not thinking about himself. He's thinking about others. That's the point I want to leave you. He's thinking about others. He's living his life for others.

Instead of becoming consumed as so often happens when were about to die or were getting old and we just sort of think about how I'm doing, is that she is thinking about others summary once a man wrapped up in himself makes a very small package. I remember growing up, my parents had a subscription to life magazine never seen a magazine with a large magazine great photographs. I wanted to be a life photographer. I just fell in love the pictures and the articles. I enjoyed it.

It came out in the early 1900s and and it continued around the year 2000.

Life magazine will years later another magazine sort of overtook the sales and I was a 1974 magazine called people magazine still very successful in red by a lot of people.

So we went from life to just people now know 1977 something else happened in the print world, a new magazine sort of clips people. It was called us magazine you see the trend from life to people to us 1979 yet another magazine was spotted on the market that's called self magazine.

You see this trend life people's self and I used to note this and I used to make jokes. It will one day to be me magazine.

Did you know in 2004, they unveiled me magazine so the circle. The tenancy in a life for most people is to draw that circle tighter and tighter. Have you ever seen a magazine called others. I have it there might be one that I've never seen one, and I don't think there is one that is popular and yet the Bible tells us we had a live for others and think about others in place others above ourselves. In fact, the Bible would say if you want a joyful life. Think about others more than yourself. Ask any missionary who is camping in another culture and is stripped himself down or herself down out of all the pleasures of the Western world and in gives his or her life for another people group and asked him are you happy. Oh, I'm so happy I so don't have what I have in the states, but I'm so filled with fulfillment in doing what I'm doing. Ask any relief worker feels God has called them to do that as well.

When the poor themselves out for others. There's an increase in the quality of one's life to live well and I will live with death in mind, live like you're camping out live for the benefit of others and finally be close with this live for legacy that outlives you one day you're gonna die unless the Lord comes back before then what you can leave behind you legacy we leave that will outlive you. Verse 15 is peters. Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. I'm I'm thinking that at the very least he's has in his mind the booklet is writing first Peter and second Peter one is right but you find it interesting that after 2000 years 2000 years. We are still being instructed and nourished by first and second Peter talking about will leave leaving a legacy that outlives you is amazing.

One of the reasons that I feel Peter knew his time was up right about here is because of the promise the Lord Jesus had given him when he was a young man was right after the resurrection. You know the story out this jog your memory. Jesus appears to Peter after the resurrection.

Peters, young guy and Jesus says something like this you know Peter when you were younger you got dressed however you want to and you want wherever you want to go but when you are old you will stretch out your hands euphemism for crucifixion in the New Testament, you will stretch out your hand and others will clothe you and they will take you where you don't want to go and then John adds these words, Jesus was telling Peter about the death he would die in which he would glorify God.

So Peter is a promise when I'm old.

This is going to happen this this is helpful to me because when I read passages like acts 12 where Peter is threatened. They said that he was gonna die the next day was put in prison. His body James was killed and the Roman said.

Your next tomorrow you're going to die. It says and Peter fell asleep in prison. Funny, then strike you the same way. It struck me how do you fall asleep no, we are going to die.

The next day you to say okay good night I met a guy in the morning but you know what he could do that because Jesus said Peter when you are old you going to die. When you are old is happy Peter silly young man so is a good night sleep. Now he is old and now the Lord has freshly impressed upon his mind.

The time is up to take down the tent you are making an exodus from one place to another place choices because that's true because I know this really is the time I want to make sure that I'm leaving something for others by so I ask you what you leaving behind what is your legacy will you leaving the next generation, the very least, are you leaving an example of a well lived life there's another suggestion. How about getting your affairs in order. Now, like a will, like a trust, like your funeral so you don't encumber children and grandchildren with that the most important thing is are you passing your faith on to the next generation. I keep a couple of journals that I've written over the years about private matters and issues of faith and struggles and victories in tribes and I write them down by hand and I want to give them to the next generation of my son and my grandchildren want them to read that on a leave that legacy with them and I think that living well is seen in these four keys that you live with death in mind, you look like you're camping out. It's only temporary… For the sake of others which you live.

Wanting to leave something that will outlive you as a great Native American proverb that says when you were born you cried in the world rejoiced. Make sure that you live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice would be horrible for the opposite. When you die for people to hallelujah out of my hair. Now you want you want to be the one rejoicing when you leave and others weeping and well we should because we would miss your presence and your contribution Moses. The only song he ever wrote Psalm 90 said, Lord, teach us to number our days, we might gain a heart of wisdom. Every day hundreds of thousands of babies are born in this planet every day, hundreds of thousands of people leave into eternity. This are the sort of like a giant Titanic sailing with doom the people toward eternity. All of us have an exit date it is appointed for all of us to die once.

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