What are you doing the rest of your life?

What are you doing the rest of your life?

October 4, 2009

Introduction

Last Sunday morning, our worship service here at the building was concluded with a prayer by our Brother Hector Pena. I appreciated his remembering Carolyn and me in that prayer, and asking that we would gain much at Harding and be able to share it with you when we returned. I gave a lot of thought to that prayer, and have decided to put our study of Revelation on hold at least for today.

On Monday at 3:00 o’clock, Carolyn and I went to different classes which you have done very little in the past. When we got back together, Carolyn asked me how my class was. I’ve preached the funerals of my mom and dad, and done a lot of emotional things, but I found it difficult to speak. Carolyn could tell I was deeply touch as I said, “It was great.” She had really appreciated the session she had attended as well.

My session was by Dr. Charlie Pruitt, and in keeping with the theme of Ecclesiastes, the title was “Abundant Living of Christian Seniors.: Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do, Do It With All Your Might.” I’ve changed the time to what it meant to me since I don’t have to keep the Ecclesiastes theme. My title is “What are you doing the rest of your life?” which actually comes from of song of 1969 and made popular by Barbara Streisand and others.

During Dr. Pruitt’s lecture, he told the story of a nineteen year old student of his at ACU. As she entered the classroom, she approached him and asked if she could speak to him after class, and he assured her that would be fine. After class she approach him and she began by saying that she had just gotten the results of some medical tests that had been done on here. She told him the name of the disease, and then went on to explain that what that meant was that she had already lived half of her life: that she had about nineteen years to live.

Then she said, “I can accept that, but I want to really do something with my life so that it will really count for something. How do I do that?

Then Dr. Pruitt paused and began to look around the room as he said, “Nineteen years to live.” He paused and looked around the room. Carolyn and I fit in the class very well as far as our age is concerned. Dr. Pruitt just let the message soak in. Here was a young lady about 19 of age, with 19 years to live. Here was a room full of “Senior Citizens” with 19 years to live. Are we half as concerned about what we do with those 19 years as this young lady was? And so it was Charlie’s time to challenge us with “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” (Eccl 9:10 NKJV) So, I share the thoughts of the song that was popular years ago: “What are you doing the rest of your life?”

Body

I. What about retirement?

Let’s look at all the scriptures that talk about retirement.

(Num 8:24-26 NKJV) "This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; {25} "and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. {26} "They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties."

Why retirement for the priests?

1. They were involved in handling the sacrificing of the sheep and cattle.

2. This was a practical matter. Their physical strength was failing.

What about after 50?

(Num 8:26 NKJV) "They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties."

II. Back to Ecclesiastes.

(Eccl 9:10 NKJV) “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”

A. The Challenge: Whatever your hand finds to do!

B. The older priests could not handle the bulls, but:

(Num 8:26 NKJV) "They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs,

1. In the words of a dying 19 year old, “What can I do that will really count?”

a. Maybe you can make a telephone call to any member who was absent for one of our services.

b. Maybe you call our visitors to let them know you appreciated their being here and encourage them to come back.

C. Another challenge: do it with your might.

1. I almost always have Carolyn make some comment about my sermons, and there is one that I always try to pay attention to: Did I get into it?

2. At our lectureship, we had one “substitute” speaker. He was the President of the University, but he did not get into it.

3. Getting into it is important with God.

(2 Ki 13:18-19 NKJV) Then he said, "Take the arrows"; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground"; so he struck three times, and stopped. {19} And the man of God was angry with him, and said, "You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times."

III. Back to the song:

I have only one request of your life
That you spend it all with me.
All the seasons and the times of your days.
All the nickels and the dimes of your days.
Let the reasons and the rhymes of your days.

Through all of my life..
Summer, winter, spring and fall of my life,
All I ever will recall of my life
Is all of my life with you.

I have only one request of your life That you spend it all with me.

1. Isn’t that what God wants of us?

2. Do we spend time with God in worship and in study?

3. As I talked of my plans to do Revelation during this hour, someone was reviewing our schedule: Acts at 10, Revelation at 11, I Kings at 6, and Colossians at 7 on Wednesday! When do we study the rest of the Bible?

4. That’s a good question, and we must be daily Bible readers and students of the word.

All the seasons and the times of your days. All the nickels and the dimes of your days.

1. All the seasons: The nickels and dimes of your life – your spare moments! Give them to God!

IV. How do we serve God?

(Mat 25:37-40 NKJV) "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? {38} 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? {39} 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' {40} "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

A. Feed my sheep.

(John 21:15-17 NKJV) So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." {16} He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." {17} He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

B. The time is now.

(John 4:35 NKJV) "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

Conclusion

I. “What your hand finds to do!”

If you can’t find anything to do, ask God to help you?
If that fails, ask a Christian friend.

II. Do it Heartily as unto the Lord.

(Col 3:23-24 NKJV) And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, {24} knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.