Sermon Transcript — December 13, 2003
I couldn't help but think of a story I'd heard when Mr. Blackwell was up here a minute ago. He was talking about age and how we grow older and you know if you go to your own class reunion you wonder who all these old people are there because you know you don't look that old. I mean after all, not as old as that person and yes you really do but you don't think you do and it reminded me of a lady who had moved to a new town. She was in need of a dentist and so she simply looked in the yellow pages and found a name and the name she recognized and she thought humm. So she went to the dentist and while she was waiting in the lobby for her turn to come around she noticed the diploma on the wall and she looked at the name again at the middle initial and all and she said: "Man, no it's just a coincidence, it couldn't be." But she was thinking, I went to high school with a man by that name and I never knew what he became or where he moved to or whatever but this is just a coincidence I'm sure. When her turn came she was called in, she sat in the chair and the dentist came in to examine her teeth and she said as he got close up and I was watching him as he was examining my teeth, she looked up and she thought, no, no, this bald-headed, wrinkled up old guy looking at me can't be the handsome young man with the long black curly hair that I went to high school with; no way! So she almost didn't even ask and then finally she couldn't help herself and she finally said: "Look, did you ever go to such and such a high school in 1957?" He said: "Why matter a fact I did." She said: "Well I did too." He said: "What did you teach?" That has to hurt, that has to hurt.
It's interesting the subject Mr. Blackwell spoke on and what I'm going to give is going to somewhat dove-tale a little or maybe a lot. Why didn't you speak longer? But it goes to show who is (the same person's doing all of the inspiring, God Almighty). You can bet that we've certainly prayed for today, both of us have prayed for one another and I hope you've prayed for us. If you haven't, it will show.
But seriously brethren, let me begin here. How many times have we as Christians become discouraged with ourselves, with our lack of spiritual progress and our lack of overcoming during the course of a year? You think back over the year, you know here we are at the end of, or at least almost at the end of another calendar year at least and as you look back over 2003 before you begin 2004 and you look at the whole year, how many times have you failed to reach the mark so to speak? Well, probably more often then you'd care to count. I know I would. This would be very depressing to me, very discouraging. So let's break it down a little further. What about the last month? How have you progressed over the last month, spiritually speaking or is there something you've been working on that you have overcome this past month? When you start thinking of it like that it still, it's still pretty discouraging. Well what about the past week? That can't be that bad can it? That's only the last 7 days. Surely everything has gone all right in your life for the last week.
Hopefully we have pleased God with some of or maybe and hopefully most of our behavior over the past 7 days. I'm sure there are some of the times when we did not. But let's break it down further. How about today? What about today? Have you pleased God so far today?
Have you sinned today? You know, so far how has your day gone? Well if you haven't sinned perhaps you have managed to be blameless up to this point; I don't know, we might have someone here like that. Perhaps you know even this past week for instance you might have been really good. You might have prayed every day, you studied your bible, you kept up with your bible reading, you never really said a cross word to anyone and certainly no evil thought ever crossed your minds. Your attitude was outstandingly unselfish for the last week and you never lost your temper, you always expressed an outgoing concern for other people and as we heard in the first split sermon, you were thankful all week long, every day for everything. Well if I just described you, that is wonderful and that is great but you are the exception and I'll be talking to the rest of us today.
Living God's way of life, striving to overcome our sins and weaknesses is a daily battle isn't it? A daily battle. That's why I try to consider the whole past year can be overwhelmingly discouraging and last month's problems seem the same way and if you're the average, then even last week's problems, you know, chances are you didn't make it through the past week with a perfect score. Maybe you've done o.k. so far today but let me remind you, today is not over. We have a little time left, right? It began at sunset last night and we have to go to sunset today.
My purpose this afternoon as you have probably already figured out is to show us the importance or try to of living one day at a time. Just live one day at a time. God has created different cycles of time. Now we are used to living by a yearly cycle when it comes to some things. I don't know what you do but about this time of year I'm already putting up a wall calendar for 2004. The first thing I'm going to write in on that calendar are all the holy days. I'm going to know where they come, what days and where in the year and what time during what month and the feast comes, what a little later maybe and whatever. Once I get all the holy days plugged in (maybe some of you do the same thing) then you start scheduling various other things around God's holy days. So that might bring you into a monthly cycle. There are some things that tend to lend themselves to more of a monthly scheduling and certainly we're acclimated to a weekly cycle, whether with your places of employment and here we are on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day comes once a week obviously and so we are acclimated that way, we understand that. But then there's the daily cycle, each day. God has created man to conform to a daily cycle. There's somewhat of a physical rejuvenation or a natural break daily. Actually you cannot live as you well know a year at a time, you can't overcome a month at a time or even a week at a time. Each of us has to face life on a daily basis. So I believe God's created us to live one day at a time.
If you'll begin with me, let's turn to Matthew, chapter 6 and I'd like to begin reading in verse 9. Here as you well know as you're turning there, this is an example prayer or an outline of prayer some of come to call it that Jesus gave; there was an occasion where the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray and this is an example or an outline of what Christ gave; various things we should pray for and I believe Christ has them listed here in the order of importance and beginning in verse 9 of Matthew 6 it says:
Matthew 6:9 After this manner, therefore, pray you: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name,
So we've all heard many times that after we acknowledge God as our Father and we have given the name and acknowledged and honored that name as it deserves and as we should, then the very first thing on the list, and we hear this at the feast many times,, is that we should be praying Thy kingdom come. This prayer actually begins with the kingdom and ends with the kingdom or this example.
Verse 10: Thy kingdom come (we're asking God) Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Then notice the next request here, it says simply:
Verse 11: Give us this day our daily bread.
It didn't say give us this week our weeks supply even as it was pointed out in Mr. Blackwell's sermon the Israelites were told to gather manna every day with the exception of the 6th day, of course where they gathered twice as much because of the Sabbath, but there's something to be learned here apparently. I believe there's an additional principle that God wants us to see here in terms of our spiritual growth and progress as well as our physical necessities. So we're told to ask, well actually Luke (I won't turn there) but in Luke 11, verse 3, the way Luke words it, at least in the King James version, he says: Give us day by day our daily bread. In other words enough for that day.
I know we're supposed to plan for the future and plan ahead, God's word tells us that too. But then on the other hand again, like I've said, there's an additional principle here I feel that God wants us to see in terms of our spiritual growth.
I can't remember the year, maybe some of you can, you'd have to be at least my age or maybe older, well no you could be younger but there was a song entitled "What a difference a day makes." How many of you remember that? I just want to make sure I wasn't alone in this thing of being old. But you know, I think it went on to say what a difference a day makes, 24 little hours. You know a day does make a lot of difference. But people of the society in which we live are desperately trying to get. as we've heard, the most out of life, especially this time of year; but all year long they are really.
The people of this society are always looking at tomorrow. In fact they don't live today, they live for tomorrow, whatever they can do and accumulate. I might go so far as to say that part of the psychology of today goes something like this: You just wait, you just wait one of these days. You see not today but one of these days when my ship comes in, or whatever, one of these days whenever this is done or that is done or I get this or that, then I'll show you. Always living for tomorrow.
A Christian is not one who is simply waiting around for his or her reward. We should be actively preparing for the kingdom of God to come. Christians don't just hang around if you will; waiting for something to happen; they are actively involved to make it happen. We live day by day and when it's all over it equals life. Life is made up of so much time and time is divided into days as far as we're concerned. We need to learn to face our problems on a daily basis in other words we need to learn the principle of living one day at a time. I think it's already been mentioned that happiness must be experienced today. You don't experience happiness tomorrow. Now when I do this or when I get this or that I'm going to be happy. That's not the way it works brethren. You know besides, I don't know if you've thought about it this way, but when tomorrow comes, it's today. So how do you live tomorrow? You can say I have lived yesterday or I'm living today. You might say I hope I live tomorrow. But you don't really know and neither do I. So it's best to try to live one day at a time.
Learn to face your problems or your challenges on a daily basis. But no, people say things and I'm sure I've said it too, chances are you have; when you have little kids; boy I'll be glad when they get old enough to take care of themselves. You know I'm tired of running after them here and there and yon and then the next thing; boy I'll be glad when they're out of school. First you can hardly wait till they go to school so they'll get out of your hair, whatever that is; that's a sad thing to say but that's how some parents feel; get them out of my hair; give them to someone else's hair; children that have not been properly trained. Then the next thing; boy I'll be glad when they graduate from high school or I'll be glad when they get out of college. I'll be glad when they get married. I'll be glad when I have grandchildren or depending upon who you are in your set of circumstances; I'll be glad when I get married. I'll be glad when I can have some children. It's always or you know I'll be glad when we finally get the car paid for and then it's wore out, then you've got to buy another one or I'll be glad when we finally get this mortgage paid off; I think in those terms.
I should be living today not tomorrow, not next year. I should be enjoying life today. You know this coming Tuesday, one year ago, December 16th, as many of you know if not most of you, I had a heart attack. Believe you me, it changed my perspective on life and I know that some of you sitting here know exactly what I'm talking about. It doesn't have to be a heart attack. It can be any life threatening medical problem or disease and you know how you feel. I have more empathy for you now. I had sympathy for you before. I hoped I had empathy but now I know I do. Once you've been there, done that, then you suddenly have a little bit more or a lot more appreciation for each and every day that God gives you and hopefully you thank God for each additional day, that day. You know thanking for today, today.
Let's look at Psalm 118, verse 24. I believe this is what our approach should be to each and every day of our lives.
Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made;
It's been singled out here to one day.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Because who knows if we'll see tomorrow. We need to thank God.
I know just recently there was a lady in our church area who was talking with my wife and my wife was relating the conversation to me later. She said this lady told her that when she got sick recently and was rushed to the hospital. It really frightened her and she said what really frightened me though was in one sense not even my condition as much as; she said I got to thinking of there were so many things that I had not worked on, there were so many things that I had not overcome as much as I felt I should and it put life in perspective for me for the first time and she said it made me realize that some many of the little nick picky things I'd worried about are not what I should be focusing on. I should be focusing on the more important things. She said, believe you me, it made me appreciate any additional time God may give me. As I've said, I can personally identify with that and I'm sure some of you can as well.
There are several scriptures that Mr. Blackwell referred to when he got into being thankful; a very good sermon on thanksgiving and contentment. I'll just quickly refer to some of these as I go through. I won't turn there but remember he spoke of Hebrews 13, verse 5 where the apostle Paul was speaking of contentment and it also showed that God would never leave us or forsake us. Are we grateful for that, are we thankful for that as he said? Also in I Timothy 6, verses 6 through 8, again I won't turn there. I'll just say that to dove-tale what he was saying we need to learn to appreciate what we have today instead of lusting what we don't have, hoping somehow we'll obtain it tomorrow or at some future time.
Incidentally a very good principle to apply in child rearing is to teach your children to appreciate what they have and stop lusting for what they don't have. Appreciate what you have.
In Philippians chapter 4, I would like to turn to this one. Paul says:
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned (so it's a discipline here, isn't it?) in whatever state I am, in this to be content.
I used to jokingly say when I was serving the Cajun brethren in Louisiana, I would read that verse and say: "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, unless it's Louisiana, therefore to be content and I'd really didn't mean that, I was joking.
Verse 12: I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Paul knew what it was to have a full stomach and an empty stomach. You know you really learn these things whenever you live through them and this is how we learn them too brethren, by living through them. He goes on to say:
Verse 13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
We do need to be thankful as we've already been told and appreciate the things we have today.
God does look after us on a daily basis. Now I know intellectually you know that but let's look at a scripture that promises that and tells us that; a Psalm, chapter 68, it looks as though God wants us to be in the Psalms quite a bit today. We read:
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
And again the list would be endless if we were to start as Mr. Blackwell was saying, trying to list all of the things that God does for us, even on a daily basis, even on a daily basis. We take so many things for granted don't we? We need to consider what God does for us today.
Also a scripture showing as we've been admonished to remember to praise and thank God daily; David certainly did (this is Psalm 145, verse 2) I won't turn to that one since Mr. Blackwell did I believe. Let's go to Psalm 96 which will be a fresh one here, in verse 2.
Psalm 96:2 Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; show forth his salvation (notice) from day to day.
So we do need to appreciate and thank God daily and praising Him for what we have. We should praise Him. I'll give you a partial listing; obviously for your mate, your children, your parents, your home, your job and your calling and your very life. We have more blessings then any people on earth and at times, especially as a nation we can by far be the most ungrateful.
I read a story one time recently about a husband who was going through some of his wife's belongings and he came across a special article of clothing and as he unwrapped this gift box he stared at both the silk paper and the box and he said to his friend standing there by him: "You know, my wife got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago; she's never worn it, she always said that she was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it." So he got near the bed and he placed the gift box next to the other articles of clothing that he was taking to the funeral home. His wife had just died. He turned to his friend again and he said: "Never save something for a special occasion; every day, every hour, every minute is special. Don't forget that." You know brethren, how true that is and again how many times do we still say: "One of these days, or you just wait."
One good principle I have found to follow is to simply do the best you can with what you have, where you are, today. That's about all you can do. Once you've given it your best shot, turn it over to God, ask Him to give you a good nights sleep. You know, the day is over, go to bed. Please give me peace of mind God, give me a good nights sleep, I'm turning these problems over to You. Put tomorrow if you will in God's hands and try to get a good nights rest.
What if our entire eternity was based on what we're like today? Now I certainly hope isn't. Maybe today might have been better than another day but I don't know how God (well in some ways I do know) is going to judge us and what I pray for is mercy, a lot of mercy. I read scriptures that say if the righteous scarcely make it, where does the sinner and the ungodly appear and it scares me. But then I read other verses that let me know that what God starts out, He intends to complete. I read verses like, what is it? Philippians 1, verse 6, the good work that God has begun in us He will perform until the day of Jesus Christ so I believe that from the time we're converted until the return of Jesus Christ, we're being judged. You know, it is appeared of judgment and judgment is on the church. Judgment is on us now and God is judging us daily. I don't want to try compare because I don't think it's a comparison really or a fair comparison but the only analogy I can come up with is; let's say you're in school or you're in college or whatever and you have a certain grade point average and then you fail a test. Well are you not going to graduate from college because you failed that test or do you study harder and you try to raise that grade point average. Perhaps next time you do a lot better and then it pulls up the grade and you kind of sigh a sigh of relief and then another pop exam you blow it and then you say: "Oh man, I'm not ever going to graduate." Then finally you realize you have another chance (I'm not speaking a second chance here now as far as salvation, I'm speaking another day, you know another day of your life to get it right).
So hopefully God is (and this is a crude way of explaining I guess) judging us on our whole life span from the time we were converted until the return of Christ. The work I've begun in you I will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. So all in here God is giving us a full opportunity if you will, only one, but a full opportunity. I don't know if God judges on a curve or what but I don't know but I do know He does have mercy and I do know that God gets the max out of what He does and if He called you and called me, He intends to save us. Now He needs our cooperation obviously but let's look at it in a positive way that He certainly is taking care of His children and He will see us through.
But just for the sake of doing it, what if our entire eternity were based on what we're like today? Would you live today any differently? Would I, if I knew this was my last day on earth in this physical life, would I live it any differently? You know brethren, when you get right down to it I guess that's what it's all about. God is judging us today. We have a lifetime of today's and we don't know how many days we have left do we? Let's turn to Psalm, chapter 90. If you're in Psalm 96, or wherever I was last, I believe that was it, it's just a few pages back. This is the prayer of Moses.
Psalm 90: 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength, they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away.
Verse 12: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply (or that we may gain) our hearts unto wisdom.
Now threescore and ten equals seventy. Seventy years equals twenty-five thousand, five hundred and fifty days. Now it could be fourscore and if it's fourscore, then God has given you twenty-nine thousand two hundred days to live. Some of you in this room (and I'm sure you have) have exceeded this fourscore. Some of you no doubt are 80 or older and I think that is a wonderful thing. You must have honored your parents as the fifth commandment says, long shall your life be on this earth and we're to honor the hoary head. But having said that, I would be willing to say that if I were to talk to some of you who are 80 or more, you could tell me, you'd look upon me as a young whipper snapper and you'd say if you think 63 is bad, you know, wait until you turn 70 or 80 or older and I'm thinking, oh really, does it get worse and they'll say, yes. So is that what we're reading if it's fourscore, yet is there strength, labor and sorrow. So there's a positive side of it and there's also a negative side. Of course man was not meant to live in the flesh forever anyway and it's appointed into all of us to die once.
So, it's something we don't like to talk about, I know I don't and yet I am. I'm doing it here because I didn't know a year ago come Tuesday whether I'd live through that day and I didn't know that morning when I got up and visited a young man in Pensacola that that evening I would have had a heart attack. I had no way of knowing. What if I'd been boasting about (we'll see that in a minute) what I was going to do the next day, not knowing what that day might bring. So o.k., I've already told you my age, 63. If I were to live to be 70 that's only 6-1/2 more years because I was born on June 28th. Now don't try to do the math on me you mathematicians because I'm probably off a day or two or three but I've only got about 6-1/2 years. If I were to live to be 70, that means I only have 2,362 days left and if I should make it to 80 years of age, which if it's God's will, I hope I do, I thank Him each day and tell Him if He wants me to live one more day that's fine with me but that's totally up to Him, whatever His will is. But if I do live to be 80, I've got 6,012 days left and no matter how you want to figure it, that's not that long, it's not really that long when you stop to think, when I stop to think at least, at how quickly the last ten years of my life went by. Now I know some of you young people will never get old. I realize that. When I was young I thought that too. When you're 20, old age is 30 and when you're 30, old age is 40. Old age is simply 10 years older than you are. So if you're 90, then old age is 100. That's just the way it is.
I was talking to a man one time; he was so upset, he was embarrassed because the minister standing here and his little boy was acting up and he just looked at his little boy and said: "Son, why don't you act your age." I said: "He is, he is acting his age; what you're saying is, you want him to act your age and he can't do that yet." Act your age.
But here again, I don't have that many days left, I don't guess any of us do when you really look at it this way. It's a sobering thought.
Let's look at Psalm 39 in verse 4. Here David says:
Psalm 39:4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how great I am. (I misread that, didn't I) that I may know how frail I am.
I'm not somebody great. God is great! I'm frail.
Verse 5: Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth (that's very short) and mine age is as nothing before thee. Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.
So David asked God to help him know what his end was so that he could measure his days. Why is it so that I may know how frail I am?
We're also admonished by Paul in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 4 to redeem the time, you know, do all you can to buy back or redeem the time because the days are evil. Look with me if you will in Matthew, chapter 6, verse 34. It's a very awkward reading in the King James which is what I have here, hopefully you've got a better translation in your lap for this verse or at least the latter part of it.
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought (or as we know, no anxious thought, or be overly concerned) for the morrow (don't worry about tomorrow) for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself (and then here comes the awkward wording in King James) sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
So what I've done is I've combined three translations of this verse or at least the latter part of it; the Knox translation, the 20th Century New Testament, and the Phillips translation and this passage reads this way; a combination of these says:
Do not fret over tomorrow for tomorrow will bring its own anxieties, one days trouble is enough for one day.
Now that makes sense doesn't it?
Who wants to know the troubles I'm going to have to face tomorrow. When these RP meetings start and Mr. Pinelli choose….(no he won't.) But I don't want to know all the troubles that I've got to face or the things that I've got to work on tomorrow or the next day or next week or next month or next year. I need to be concerned about today. So it is so true, one day's problems are indeed enough. I think the New International version has this; each day has enough trouble of it's own.
Turn with me to Proverbs 27, verse 1, we're admonished:
Proverbs 27:1 Boast not yourself of tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth.
How true.
James speaks of that in chapter 4, verse 13. People are admonished here:
James 4:13 Go to now (they're corrected really) you that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, we'll buy and sell, and get profit.
Verse 14: Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life? (See I didn't know December 16 a year ago that I'd be alive on December 17) It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
What we ought to be saying is if the Lord will, we shall live and we'll do this or we'll do that.
You know there's an interesting given in Ecclesiastes 7 in verse 1. When I first read this years ago I wondered what in the world does that mean or how can it say it that way. It didn't look right to me but as I matured somewhat spiritually, hopefully I understood a little more what God meant here.
Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name (or good character or reputation) is better than precious ointment; (but notice the latter part of the verse) and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.
Why would God be more concerned about the day of my death then He would be the day of my birth? The only answer I could come up with is that God is more concerned about how I end up then how I start out. He's more concerned with how we end up as opposed how we start; that's the bottom line.
Does He not say in the 116 chapter of Psalms, verse 15:
Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
So God looks upon death quite differently then most of us do. Perhaps we're getting more of the mind of God on that subject as we grow.
Well I won't turn to all of these scriptures or I won't turn to any of them really, I'll just mention Psalm 61, chapter 8, showing David's strive to serve God on a daily basis; he mentions in another Psalm; I call daily upon You. In Psalm 55 we find out that he called three times a day on God; evening, morning and noon; at the beginning of the day, the middle of the day, the end of the day, or rather the evening, yes and at noon, the evening, morning and noon, three times a day. The Bereans approach to bible study was interesting. In Acts chapter 17 and verse 11 where it says they searched the scriptures daily whether these things were so. So not only did they have a positive attitude toward bible study but they did it on a daily basis. In II Corinthians chapter 4 beginning in verse 16 we find that there's a daily contact with God as far as the apostle Paul is concerned. It even says I die every day and one translation has it; I mean that brothers, I do, I die every day. So Paul was engaged in a daily battle where he said: "I've had to put to death the deeds of the flesh daily." Even when he was drawing his last breath near death, what did he say? "I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith."
So it is a battle, it is a fight, it is a challenge on a daily basis for each and every one of us. Even our Savior Jesus Christ, brethren, had something to say about this daily battle that we fight. In Luke chapter 9, verse 23.
Luke 9:23 And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Brethren, we just need to accept the hand of life we were dealt today and more forward. We need to ask ourselves: "Can I succeed, can I endure, can I tough it out today?" Then don't worry about tomorrow. God's strength comes daily.
You and I are in a joint project with God building a temple and a temple is built stone by stone, day by day, Our today's determine what our tomorrow's will be like. Our lives are just made up as I've said of so much time and we all have the same amount of time, don't we, every day? How we use it is what makes the difference. Do we share sufficient time with our mates, with our children and others as we're able? You know sharing time with someone, especially someone who is lonely can mean so much to that person, perhaps more then you'll ever realize. Hopefully the story I'd like to share with you will illustrate this point.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career and life itself got in the way in fact Jack moved clean across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There in the rush of his busy life Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his own wife and son. He was working on his future and nothing could stop him. But over the phone his mother said: "Jack, Mr. Belser died last night, the funeral is Wednesday." Memories splashed through Jack's mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. His mother said: "Son, did you hear me, I said…." "Yes Mom, I'm sorry, I heard you, but its been so long since I thought of him, I'm sorry but I honestly thought he died years ago." "Well he did not forget you, every time I saw him, he'd ask how you were doing; he'd reminisce about the many days you'd spent over the side of his fence as he put it." "I love that old house he lived in." Jack said. "I'll tell you something else Jack. Whenever your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life." "Why yes Mom, he's the one that taught me carpentry, taught me everything. I wouldn't be in the business I'm in today if it were not for Mr. Belser. I'll be there for the funeral."
So the next day he caught an early flight out to his hometown and Mr. Belser's funeral was very small and uneventful. He had no children of his own and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway Jack paused for a moment, it was like crossing over into another dimension; a leap through space and time for him. The house was exactly as he remembered, every step held memories, every picture, every piece of furniture and then suddenly Jack stopped and he said: "It's gone." His mother said: "What's gone?" "The box." "What box?" "Well there was a small gold box that Mr. Belser kept on top of his desk and he kept it locked. I must have asked that old man a thousand times what was inside and all he'd ever tell me was the thing that I value the most." Well, it was gone, everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family must have taken it. "Now I'll never know what was the most valuable thing to him."
Well Jack finally had to go back home. Two weeks after he'd arrived back home, he discovered a note in his mailbox and the note said: "Signature required on a package, there was no one at home, please stop by the post office within the next three days." Well early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old, it looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read but the return address caught his attention. It said: Mr. Harold Belser. Jack took the box out of the car and ripped open the package and there inside was the gold box. There was an envelope taped to it and Jack shook his hands and he read the note and it said: "Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the one thing I've valued most in my life." The small key was taped to the letter, his heart was racing as tears filled his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch and running his fingers slowly over the fine edged casing, he unlatched the cover and inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, thanks for your time, Harold Belser." The thing he valued the most was my time? Jack held the watch for a few minutes and he called his office and he cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" His assistant Janet said. "Why are you doing this?" "I need to spend some time with my wife and son, oh by the way Janet, thank you for your time."
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
I'd like to conclude with Galatians chapter 6 and then read one more thing to you. Galatians 6, verse 7; Paul here speaks of sowing, he says:
Galatians 6:7 Be (not mocked or rather be) not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
Verse 8: For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
You know Paul is talking as I've said about and sowing is not that hard really and no seed is sown tomorrow; whatever we do is done today but the harvesting may not come until tomorrow because verse 9 says:
Verse 9: And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.
I ran across something some years ago that talked about sowing and it went something like this: Sow a thought, you'll reap an attitude. Sow an attitude, you reap a habit. Sow a habit you reap character.
Now I'd like to use that same reasoning and leave you with this thought: Sow a day and you reap a week. Sow a week, you reap a month. Sow a month, you reap a year. Sow a year, you reap a lifetime. Sow a lifetime, you reap eternity.
Brethren, let's make each and every day count. Let's learn to live one day at a time.