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June 4, 2022 4:00 am
We find meaning through the pursuit of pleasure or adventure self-expression, personal relationships today untruthful life weekend. Alistair Begg explores this question as he concludes our investigation of the seven questions God asks were studying in James chapter 4 verse 14 now listen. James writes you say today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city spending here. There carry on business and make money.
Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life.
Your missed that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you want to say if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that, as it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.
Anyone then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it since the leisure and arts page of the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
I noticed review of the book entitled want to go to and the philosopher can tell you this is the review of a book by a man by the name of Julian bikini.
The book is called what's it all about, and in the book. He suggests that the meaning of life answering the question what is life is not to be found in any sense of because it isn't found, as he says quotes in the causal origin of the human race. This he says is actually a good thing because it is at best a moot point whether the universe has any purpose at all.
The universe he says might simply be and if this is at least a possibility. Then he says we want to be able to find a meaning in life that issues from life itself, and not from what purposefully gave rise to life as much recently that I can remember where I'm repeating myself, but I know for sure I'm repeating myself and if I quoted last Sunday night from Einstein's credo, then let me preface it by saying remember last Sunday evening when I mentioned Einstein's credo as well worthy of repetition, but Einstein in 1932, writes in his credo, our situation on this earth seems strange every one of us appears here involuntarily and uninvited for a short stay.
Without knowing the lines and the wherefores. None of us can deny the fact that this question is a significant question and it is a question that demands our attention.
I'm here in this little section that I read for you.
James question. You will note sent within the context of a group of businessmen if you like sitting down to make their plans Jewish men have been well known throughout the years, the same remains true today for their peculiar abilities in the world of entrepreneurial skills and that was true in the time of James and James is able to say in the appeal to their thinking. I know that a group of you often sit down and gather around the table and you put together a business plan and a strategy for making money that extends beyond the immediate and out, perhaps even as far as a year. He says I want to speak to those of you who are good at doing that.
I want to give you a word of warning. I want to suggest to you that you're actually making a tactical error when he is condemning here is not as some people of like to suggest because of their political and economic persuasions when he is condemning here is not business but boasting what he is condemning here is not the industrious nature of the quest what it is that the quest is being engaged in entirely independently of God. What these individuals he addresses are doing and we can identify with this. I'm sure if we are honest is thinking quite ordinarily about matters of life and business and there are certain assumptions that underpin their choices. For example, they operate on the basis that they will for sure be here tomorrow that there will for sure go there tomorrow and that they will for sure be successful on the basis of what they do when they get is Mother's Day is common thinking. You could argue that that's what makes all of the American economy go around that if it weren't for individuals sitting down in small businesses and large making those kind of plans that many of us would be in dire straits and the progression is straightforward today. Tomorrow the year and from this perspective ideas it passes is viewed almost like a mark that you could put on a wheel and that is if you like the wheel of Time which goes round and round and round all the citizens and was asked to make it said 20 x 7 and then 12 hours only 20 x 7 again. Caleb just moved to a.m. and then 12 hours later be 20 x 7 Italy 24 hours from now we understand that, but what is being suggested is something far deeper level, and it is challenged by what the Bible says what the Bible actually says is no point in putting a mark on a circle because it is the sort by the passage of time is not ultimately cyclical, but rather it is linear and that the line goes from eternity to eternity, and any attempt to view life in a cyclical fashion is actually in some dimension to seek to escape from the inevitable strange insistent knocking at the door of our minds. Which says to his.
I don't think were going around. I don't think were coming around. I think that the first day that I said hello began my last goodbye. I think that from the day of my birth, I am moving inexorably towards the day of my death, Allie McTeer says of this when we think the end in terms of the passage of time we receive another day, not as a result of natural necessity tomorrow does not have to come, nor by mechanical law, nor by right nor by the courtesy of nature, but we receive another day. By the covenanted mercies of God, as Lamentations 3 is it is because of God's mercy that we are not consumed.
It is because of his mercy that we awaken to a new day. What is our life, our life is grounded in the gift of God and every day is a further gift now in this little section, what we discover is that man is proud in his presumptuous planning that's was present here.
You're saying this you're planning that you're going there, and so on and what is absent in the section is any notion of the providence of God that very phrase the providence of God is is so alien to contemporary thinking that we have to go and look for somewhere to to try and understand what is even meant by the phrase, and of course you know the best place to go is to the shorter Scottish catechism, which is a great wealth of truth and in the shorter catechism were told that the works of God's providence are his most holy wise and powerful, preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions.
God preserves all his creatures.
What is that mean it means that according to the Bible.
Nothing in the whole universe would continue to exist for one slightest fraction of a second without God, the universe has real existence it's continuity is not a mere semblance. But it does not exist independently of the continuous activity of its creator. I don't want to belabor this but I think some of you may be following me at the striking emphasis which is given here and this is not the totality of the answer to the question, what is your life, but it is the answer that James provides for us. What is your life. He says your life is very, very brief invites. When you think about it.
He says you are a mixed how substantial is a missed I missed this completely insubstantial.
You can grab the next know when we think of life in these terms, then it changes everything doesn't. And that's why most of the time in our lives. We don't think about these things.
We don't want to think about the state but the Bible continually confronts us with them. For example, in Psalm 90, the psalmist says Lord, you have been our dwelling place through all generations before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God you are the everlasting one and then listen to what he says you turn men back to dust saying return to dust all sons of men for a thousand years in your site are like a day that is just gone by, or like a watch in the night you sweep men away in the sleep of death. There like the new grass of the morning though in the morning. It springs up new by evening it is dry and whether all our days pass away under your Roth we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is 70 years or 80, if we have the strength that was written a long time ago have you checked the actuarial tables lately.
Not a lot has changed despite the advance of civilization. Despite our sophistication, despite all the advances of medication. I would think most men here would say 70 would be a good and if we push it to 80, then we will have occasion for thankfulness. Hopefully and hopefully those that we are still around, will be equally thankful. What is your life, your life is passing hollowly then to handle the fact of life's frailty. Well, one of the answers is abandon yourself to the indulgence of all your lusts and all your passions eat drink and be merry because tomorrow you die, grab the best still get all the toys you can build bumper sticker expresses the philosophy well he that dies she that dies with the most toys wins. That's one of the answers in the circle of life. What are we going to do through the journey of despair and hope, and so long we might as well grab what we can while we are going along last Sunday when I began to quote from memory from these old song by Ray Stevens from 1968 I think it was the verse that I was trying to get to is this spending counter feet incentive, wasting precious time and help placing value on the worthless, disregarding priceless wealth. You can wheel and deal the best of them and steal it from the rest of them. You know the score.
Their ethics are a bore, you better just take care of business. Mr. businessman while you, James says to the businessman. Hey Mr. businessman you're a little presumptuous, aren't you, you are presuming not only on tomorrow but on all of your tomorrow here says James is what that presumptuous person needs to do. First of all, he or she needs to face up to what they do not know this is not a peculiarly pagan problem.
Christians do this as well. The sin of presumptuousness that forgets what it doesn't know. He says you're planning next year. I've good news for you. You don't even know what will happen tomorrow, you will hear in figures for you and your was already on the production from this your idea, your Joe's got. I called Joelle you got the wrong rule about all the sounds so grand doesn't just a little blood test just a significant amount of turbulence on aircraft and suddenly all of our proud and presumptuous posts are reaching for something either the 86 proof anesthetic crutch or the relationship or the dream to go to tackle this question. He says you have to face up to what you do not know you don't know about tomorrow. None of us to also you have to face up to the front of your frailty with address that happened with what is your life you missed it appears really wild and then it vanishes away.
James is going to face up to the question you need to face up to what you don't know you don't know about tomorrow you need to face up to your frailty and also you need to face up to the fact that you're entirely dependent upon God. You see in verse 14. It's the contents of tomorrow that we don't know. And in verse 15 it is that we don't know if there's a tomorrow critter thought is I don't know if you have this kind of terminology is growing up as children and when I think back on it is amazing that I made my way through life right in line my bed worried out of my wits, but you remember the prayer and now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep, and if I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.
You know so many things out of my child to come back to me now that I move into my adult, but I was thinking about this when we said good night to one another in our family. This was our parting shot.
Good night dad. I will see you in the morning all spared and well I will see you in the morning all spared and well. In other words, I will see you in the morning if God spares me and grants me health otherwise I will not see you in the morning. You don't have to be a genius as a boy growing up to recognize what you are giving expression to in that kind of terminology and tonight contemporary American society resists the question flees from the challenge that it brings chooses not to think about these things at all.
And surely the contemporary fascination with health is in large measure, on account of the fact that contemporary society has no answer to death. I pulled off the Internet all the world's a stage, it's a great quote is that you remember that Jack in as you like it. The dentist love this the side. I'm going to bed.
I dedicate this to all dentists because of the way finishes what you remembered all the world's a stage and all the men and women are merely players they have their exits and their entrances and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. You know the first instance is the real guy and so want to go through you know it, and then he says, and it ends up song teeth without teeth without eyes, without taste, without everything now. That's why in our funeral services here at Parkside. I think most of us eventually end up saying the same thing every time we say to the people who have gathered, we are here today and there's some things we can avoid.
One is the fact of life's brevity to is the fact of death reality.
Three is the fact of judgment, certainty, and four is the fight of faith, opportunity, you may be here in this question has a very personal and a very private touch on your life because you've been asking the question, what is your life and getting really rotten answers and it may be completely unknown to the people around you may even be unknown to the people who are nearest and dearest to but that you feel yourself to be empty and left out there made me things in your life that discussed your so badly that you hate to wake up in the night and have your conscience accuse you, and frankly, if you're honest you think you're pretty worthless.
All the Bible is full of good news for people who think themselves to be worthless. The Bible says that man men and women are the very pinnacle of God's creation that God has made us in his image that we are precious in his sight that we possess a dignity that is unknown, even by the angel that image is marred because of man's sin.
And that's why you feel the way you feel. And that's why people treat you as they treat you and that's why you treat people as you do.
But the good news is this the same God that made you has done something for you in Jesus and he has done something in Jesus, was to put the pieces of your picture back together again. You may have been trying to fixate on the horizontal level. If I can bridge the gap with her if I can reengage with him if I can do this and those are all useful adventures of the fact of the matter is, the Bible says that first we have to deal with it on the vertical axis between ourselves and the God who has made us coming and meeting him while can I meet him.
He seemed so far away is as if his phone is off, the group will the good news is we don't have to go and find him. He is the one who comes to find us and he has reached down to is in Jesus and offers to his forgiveness dies to bear our punishment dies to wipe clean our state offers us a whole new family offers us a whole new future so that we can then ask the question what is my long legacy. My life is passing, that is, without doubt, but my life is purchased, he purchased it in my life is powerful, powerful impact of solid treat life lived for good and live for only one month soon be matched only once done for Jesus will last. Whether we realize it or not this brief death and judgment are inevitable, we can find hope and purpose in the gospel listing to Truth for Life weekend with Alister Bragg, today's the last day in our series titled seven questions God asks if you missed any of the messages or would like to relisten or share a message with a friend. You can download a single message, or the entire series for free that Truth for Life.org while you on our website. Check out Alister's book lasting love. How to avoid miracle failure. Every year thousands of couples pledged their lives to each other with wedding vows what is that commitment really mean. Alister explores the sacred bow of marriage.
In his book lasting love. He outlines exactly what couples are signing up for when they say the words, in sickness and in health, to love, honor and keep for as long as we both shall live. Whether you're considering marriage or you been married for decades, one pack a great deal of wisdom from Alister Bragg in his book lasting love. By the way the book is a great gift idea for couples you know who were celebrating and engagement a wedding or an anniversary. Find out more about the book@truthforlife.org. We hope that the teaching you here on Truth for Life is helping you grow in your faith if you benefited from listening to this program.
There's more available. Alister has a devotional book titled Truth for Life 365 daily devotions.
This is a hardcover book that presents a daily reading comprised of a Bible verse or passage of Scripture, followed by a commentary from Alister find a full year of rich insights the book is a great way to begin or end each day in God's word and find the devotional on our website at Truth for Life.Bob Lapine thanks for listing today how we engage in battle against the fierce and cunning enemy we can't see next weekend will begin a study on spiritual warfare. The Bible teaching of Alister Bragg is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living