Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / What a Way to Go! │ Msg 2122

Transcript

What a Way to Go! │ Msg 2122 · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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Speaker 1: Into Jerusalem Jesus came Those around him shouted his name
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Speaker 1: Longly he rode on a donkey's boat To fulfill the
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Speaker 1: promise of long ago Music Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he
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Speaker 1: who reigns forever, the King of kings. Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed
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Speaker 1: is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
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Speaker 1: Crowds of people gather round, spreading clothes upon the ground.
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Speaker 1: slaving the conferences that were new, and praising the King
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Speaker 1: with songs of cheer. Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he who
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Speaker 1: reigns forever, the King, the King. Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is
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Speaker 1: the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
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Speaker 2: It's interesting how words are woven into the lyrics of
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Speaker 2: hymns and anthems at certain times of the year. You'll
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Speaker 2: hear a lot during this time of the year, the
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Speaker 2: word Hosanna, Hosanna. It actually is not an English word,
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Speaker 2: that's called a transliteration of a Hebrew word. And the
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Speaker 2: Hebrew term is Hoshana, Hoshana. It appears first in Psalm 118,
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Speaker 2: And then it is repeated when you get to the
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Speaker 2: Gospels as the people who gathered around to welcome Jesus'
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Speaker 2: arrival in the city shouted that. The word means save now.
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Speaker 2: Save now. The whole thought of rescue us or deliver us.
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Speaker 2: If you were on a roof during a flood and
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Speaker 2: you saw a a helicopter or a boat come near
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Speaker 2: and you were speaking that language, you could say,, save
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Speaker 2: me now, rescue me now. I think it's helpful to
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Speaker 2: know as we sing songs like this, to know what
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Speaker 2: it is that we are saying and singing. Another one
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Speaker 2: was Emmanuel, you remember hearing that one. Emmanuel, it's another
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Speaker 2: Hebrew word that means God with us. God with us.
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Speaker 2: And so it was said of Jesus when he came,
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Speaker 2: he was Emmanuel, God in the flesh. God with us. Well,
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Speaker 2: you've had your Hebrew lesson for the day. There will
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Speaker 2: be a test at the end of the service. Not really.
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Speaker 2: Only reason we share that is to give you a
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Speaker 2: little insight and to make your worship meaningful. Otherwise, you're
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Speaker 2: mouthing words that may be traditional, but they mean nothing.
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Speaker 2: Learn to be curious. Learn to be a student of words.
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Speaker 2: They're the building block of thought. And of course, where
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Speaker 2: would we be in our day without words that help
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Speaker 2: us understand a message. The words found in Genesis 25,
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Speaker 2: the first 10 verses cover an epical time in Abraham's
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Speaker 2: later life. He's getting way up in years as we
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Speaker 2: gauge age, but his life is far from over. As
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Speaker 2: a matter of fact, he had many, many experiences ahead
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Speaker 2: of him as he reaches this age before he dies
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Speaker 2: at the age of 175. We'll read of some of
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Speaker 2: those things here, which is a passage that deals with
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Speaker 2: things found nowhere else in your Bible. Let's stand together
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Speaker 2: for the reading of the first 10 verses of Genesis 25.
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Speaker 2: Now Abraham took another wife whose name was Keturah. She
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Speaker 2: bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian
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Speaker 2: and Ishbak and Shua. Jokshan became the father of Sheba
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Speaker 2: and Dedan and the sons of Dedan were Asherim, Letushim
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Speaker 2: and Leumim. The sons of Midian were Ephah and Ephor
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Speaker 2: and Hanak and Abedah and Eldah. All these were the
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Speaker 2: sons of Keturah. Now Abraham gave all that he had
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Speaker 2: to Isaac, but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham
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Speaker 2: gave gifts while he was still living and sent them
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Speaker 2: away from his son Isaac eastward to the land of
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Speaker 2: the east. These are all the years of Abraham's life
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Speaker 2: that he lived, 175 years. Abraham breathed his last and
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Speaker 2: died in a ripe old age, an old man, and
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Speaker 2: satisfied with life. And he was gathered to his people.
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Speaker 2: Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the
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Speaker 2: cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son
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Speaker 2: of Zohar, the Hittite, facing Mamre. a field which Abraham
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Speaker 2: purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried
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Speaker 2: with Sarah, his wife. Please be seated. I heard a
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Speaker 2: psychologist speak years ago as he addressed the subject of
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Speaker 2: death and his words were not to be forgotten. They
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Speaker 2: were certainly not said lightly. He said, the last place
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Speaker 2: a person can imagine himself or herself is in a casket. Strangely,
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Speaker 2: that is where we will all be one day. Either
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Speaker 2: a body in a casket or ashes in a vase.
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Speaker 2: Grim though it may sound, it is important that you
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Speaker 2: anticipate that reality while you're alive. If you have not,
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Speaker 2: the future is bleak beyond telling. Christ taught more about
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Speaker 2: hell than he ever did about heaven. Many mysteries surround heaven,
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Speaker 2: very few surround the place of the departed unbelievers. There
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Speaker 2: is no purgatory. There is no second chance. There is
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Speaker 2: no opportunity after you have breathed your last to say,
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Speaker 2: wait a minute, on second thought. No, there is no
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Speaker 2: opportunity like that. While you are alive, you make your
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Speaker 2: decision regarding life after death because you will live forever.
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Speaker 2: So what do you decide? First, you understand that you're
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Speaker 2: really not ready to live until you're ready to die.
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Speaker 2: Once you have been made ready to live, death holds
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Speaker 2: no fear. The jaws of death are broken with the
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Speaker 2: promise of resurrection. See that cross? On a cross, something
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Speaker 2: like that, a man died. Why would he die if
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Speaker 2: there were not a need, especially since he was God's son?
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Speaker 2: Because God so loves you and me that he gave
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Speaker 2: his one and only son, that whoever would believe in
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Speaker 2: him would never perish, but would have everlasting life, meaning
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Speaker 2: life with God. He who has the Son has that life.
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Speaker 2: He who does not have the Son of God does
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Speaker 2: not have that life. It's that serious. It's that epical.
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Speaker 2: And the wonderful thing about our Savior whose life transcends time,
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Speaker 2: is what he says regarding life beyond the grave. The
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Speaker 2: body is placed in a casket or in a vase,
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Speaker 2: but the person himself or herself, the soul, is timeless,
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Speaker 2: cannot be destroyed, will last forever. The last resurrection, of course,
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Speaker 2: the body is raised and joined to the soul to
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Speaker 2: be forever with the Lord. If you know the Lord,
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Speaker 2: if you've met the Lord during your lifetime, if you
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Speaker 2: have not, the alternative is dreadful. too horrible to imagine.
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Speaker 2: And lest that sound too narrow, please understand Jesus himself said,
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Speaker 2: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
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Speaker 2: one comes to the Father but through me. So it
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Speaker 2: is a great time before an offering is received and
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Speaker 2: even during the time for every one of us to
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Speaker 2: search our souls, to make sure that we are ready
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Speaker 2: for our last breath. For if you wait till then,
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Speaker 2: it is too late. You're not really ready to live
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Speaker 2: until you're ready to die. If you're ready to die,
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Speaker 2: so much of life unfolds in a magnificent, and even
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Speaker 2: enjoyable way. So as believers today give their gifts, this
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Speaker 2: is a great moment for you who don't know the
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Speaker 2: Lord to receive the gift God has for you. He
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Speaker 2: comes to us without any responsibility on our part except
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Speaker 2: to believe in him, to trust him. May we bow together.
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Speaker 2: In these quiet moments, our Father, we want to thank
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Speaker 2: you for taking care of all things pertaining to life
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Speaker 2: here and beyond. Thank you for leaving nothing to chance.
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Speaker 2: Thank you for caring so much for us that you
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Speaker 2: not only care how we live, you care how we die.
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Speaker 2: We see before us in black print on white pages
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Speaker 2: the story of a great life, but even he died.
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Speaker 2: Not even a man as great in faith as Abraham
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Speaker 2: would live on this earth forever. He too would breathe
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Speaker 2: his last. And so in this moment of reflection and quietness,
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Speaker 2: Hear our hearts today, Lord, as we affirm our faith
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Speaker 2: in your Son or begin that relationship by faith. Thank
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Speaker 2: you for the significance of the season. Thank you for
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Speaker 2: the meaningful week that unfolds before us. On that final
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Speaker 2: week of our Savior's earthly life, How significant were the
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Speaker 2: events that ultimately brought him to Gethsemane and then the
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Speaker 2: cross and then the grave and then beyond as he
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Speaker 2: broke free from death to live forever and to promise
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Speaker 2: us the same kind of resurrection. We exult in that, Lord,
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Speaker 2: and we will never weary of the message of hope
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Speaker 2: that that brings, though it is for some frightening. For
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Speaker 2: those who are not ready, it represents the dread of
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Speaker 2: their lives. So we pray that will be lifted and
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Speaker 2: that this problem will be solved and that we will
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Speaker 2: realize how magnificent your message is To have the Son
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Speaker 2: is to have life. Not to have the Son is
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Speaker 2: to accept the consequences. On this day, our Father, we
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Speaker 2: rejoice over that triumphal entry as our Savior came into
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Speaker 2: the city that wanted nothing to do with him. As
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Speaker 2: he was met by those few who loved him and
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Speaker 2: had followed him, We realize that even today, the majority
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Speaker 2: will never realize the importance of eternal faith in your son, Jesus.
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Speaker 2: And so in this place today, pray that we might
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Speaker 2: be lost in the wonder, love, and praise of his
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Speaker 2: great name. Our hearts are touched by those who are
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Speaker 2: on the battlefield today, lonely places. those whose presence fills
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Speaker 2: a hospital or sick beds at home or in places
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Speaker 2: preparing for death. We pray that you will minister in
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Speaker 2: a deep and abiding way this Easter week to bring
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Speaker 2: hope in place of despair and relief from guilt and shame.
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Speaker 2: Thank you now, Father, for the joy of giving, and
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Speaker 2: we give with great gratitude that we're able to give
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Speaker 2: and with generosity as we thank you for all you
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Speaker 2: give to us in the name of Christ. We pray
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Speaker 2: and we give these gifts. And everyone said amen. Ever
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Speaker 2: thought about how you hope to die? It may sound
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Speaker 2: like a pretty morbid question, but I don't mean it
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Speaker 2: that way. As a matter of fact, some people don't
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Speaker 2: think it's as serious as it may sound. One of
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Speaker 2: my all-time favorite statements has to do with the very
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Speaker 2: subject of death, where one man wrote, when I die,
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Speaker 2: I want to go like my grandfather did, peacefully in
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Speaker 2: his sleep, in his sleep, not screaming and yelling like
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Speaker 2: the other people in his car. I know, I know,
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Speaker 2: it is not a funny subject. I know that. On
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Speaker 2: the other hand, why does that have to be so
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Speaker 2: all far serious and depressing? You see, when I ask
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Speaker 2: you about how you hope to die, the question is how.
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Speaker 2: I'm not asking you about the way you plan to die.
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Speaker 2: We don't know that. It's the condition of your mind
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Speaker 2: and your heart when you do? It's a matter of
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Speaker 2: when you die, what will be your frame of mind?
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Speaker 2: Think about it. Your attitude, your lifestyle at the time
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Speaker 2: death approaches. How will you be spending your days prior
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Speaker 2: to your breathing your last? Tragically for many, the same
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Speaker 2: sad epitaph could be used etched in the granite slab
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Speaker 2: above the grave. Died age 45, buried age 75. Many
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Speaker 2: die before they breathe their last. They just stop living.
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Speaker 2: Stop draining from life all the joys and purpose and
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Speaker 2: pleasure that was meant to hold for them. They figure
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Speaker 2: after a certain age, well, it's over. It's all history.
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Speaker 2: It's all said and done. Bring it on. And they're
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Speaker 2: 35 or 40. Mummification sets in far too many young
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Speaker 2: men and women when they should be ripping the world apart,
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Speaker 2: making a contribution that will outlast them and live in
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Speaker 2: their legacy. Need an example? Well, listen to the words
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Speaker 2: of the late Ted Engstrom, who wrote, motivation to last
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Speaker 2: a lifetime This appears in that book. Many people reading
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Speaker 2: this page are doing so with the aid of bifocals. Inventor,
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Speaker 2: Ben Franklin, age 79. The presses that printed this page
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Speaker 2: were powered by electricity. One of the first harnessers of electricity,
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Speaker 2: Ben Franklin, age 40. Some are reading this on the
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Speaker 2: campus of one of the Ivy League universities. Founder, Ben Franklin,
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Speaker 2: age 45. Others of you are in a library. Who
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Speaker 2: founded the first library in America? Ben Franklin, age 25. Now,
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Speaker 2: think fire. Who started the first fire department? invented the
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Speaker 2: lightning rod, designed a heating stove that in some places
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Speaker 2: is still in use today. Ben Franklin, ages 31, 43, 36, wit, conversationalist, economist, philosopher, diplomat, printer, publisher, linguist,
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Speaker 2: spoke and wrote five languages, advocate of paratroopers a century
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Speaker 2: before the airplane was invented. All until the age of 84.
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Speaker 2: And he had exactly two years of formal education. Two years.
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Speaker 2: It's a good bet that you already have more sheer
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Speaker 2: knowledge than Brent Franklin ever had when he was your age.
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Speaker 2: But he lived all the way to 84. He didn't
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Speaker 2: die at age 30 or 40 or 50 or 70.
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Speaker 2: He died when he breathed his last at 84. And
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Speaker 2: if I know anything about that mind, As I read
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Speaker 2: of him, that mind was active on other things that
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Speaker 2: he was working on right to the end. You see,
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Speaker 2: active participation in life can be wonderfully exhilarating. You know
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Speaker 2: what wears us out? Makes us want to die young?
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Speaker 2: It's the monotonous mundane that leaves us old and useless
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Speaker 2: and crotchety and cranky. I'm going to tell you something
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Speaker 2: that your close friend hasn't told you recently. You're getting
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Speaker 2: hard to live with. Okay? To some of you, it's
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Speaker 2: more emphatic than to others of you. You need to
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Speaker 2: look at yourself and ask why. Why have you chosen
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Speaker 2: to die so young when God has chosen to give
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Speaker 2: you a long life? This past week, I had my
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Speaker 2: annual physical exam at the Cooper Clinic. here in Dallas.
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Speaker 2: My exam was done by the man himself, Dr. Kenneth Cooper.
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Speaker 2: I don't know of anyone I admire more. The founder
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Speaker 2: of that clinic goes all the way back to 1970,
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Speaker 2: back when they thought the word aerobics was a reference
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Speaker 2: to a religious cult. Hardly. This man with his vision
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Speaker 2: of preventive Medicine has put the whole subject on the map,
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Speaker 2: still active, still engaged, still excited about getting the message out.
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Speaker 2: Now his heart is set on China. They're inviting him
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Speaker 2: to come and give consideration of putting clinics all across
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Speaker 2: that land for over a billion people, most of whom
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Speaker 2: are obese, or many are, as here. How old is
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Speaker 2: Ken Cooper? And he can outrun any one of us,
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Speaker 2: I can tell you. What a man. How different he
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Speaker 2: is from most 82-year-olds who are winding their way to
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Speaker 2: the grave, not nearly as anxious to die as those
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Speaker 2: around them that you die. I don't know how often
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Speaker 2: I'm asked, when are you going to retire? Never! I
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Speaker 2: don't usually yell it like that. But I don't know
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Speaker 2: why that question is asked. You know why? Because we
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Speaker 2: live in a culture where when you get this age,
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Speaker 2: you retire. You hang it up. You play that stupid
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Speaker 2: game where you knock a little white ball into a
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Speaker 2: hole that's much too small. It needs to be bigger
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Speaker 2: for me to be interested in golf. And I'd stay
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Speaker 2: interested in it for maybe two or three games, and
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Speaker 2: then I'd give you my clubs. Who needs golf when
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Speaker 2: there are people to build my life into and books
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Speaker 2: to read and things to think and ideas to carry
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Speaker 2: out and vision to accomplish? Retire? Nothing wrong with retirement,
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Speaker 2: just so you don't hang it up. Just move into
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Speaker 2: another direction. Do your relatives a favor. Keep living. Keep
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Speaker 2: being engaged. Keep laughing. How important is a sense of humor?
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Speaker 2: One of our tours that Cynthia and I were leading,
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Speaker 2: a fellow put this in my hand. After an overnight
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Speaker 2: flight to meet my father at his latest military assignment,
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Speaker 2: my mother wearily arrived at Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany
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Speaker 2: with my eight siblings and me, all under age 11.
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Speaker 2: Collecting our many suitcases, the ten of us entered the
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Speaker 2: cramped customs area. Young customs official watched our entourage in disbelief. Ma'am,
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Speaker 2: he asked, But do all these children and this luggage
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Speaker 2: belong to you? Yes, sir, my mother said with a sigh.
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Speaker 2: They're all mine. Custom agent began his interrogation. Ma'am, do
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Speaker 2: you have any weapons, contraband, alcoholic beverages, or illegal drugs
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Speaker 2: in your possession? She calmly answered, sir. If I had
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Speaker 2: any of those items, I would have used them all
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Speaker 2: by now. What a great sense of humor. How pleasant
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Speaker 2: you look when you laugh. How delightful you are to
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Speaker 2: be around when you're looking at the bright side. You're
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Speaker 2: surrounded by those who focus on the somber, dark side,
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Speaker 2: which is why In the twilight years, there are these
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Speaker 2: common reactions we come across. First is narcissism. It's a
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Speaker 2: great big four-bit word that means it's all about me.
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Speaker 2: Don't you realize? It's an ultra-selfish mindset, and it pervades
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Speaker 2: our society. It's everywhere, not just among the aging, but
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Speaker 2: especially there. It says, in effect, leave me alone. I've
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Speaker 2: earned my My right to my own privacy. This is
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Speaker 2: my world. This is what I want to do. And
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Speaker 2: I paid my dues. Paid my dues. I have looked
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Speaker 2: all the way through the scriptures to find paid my dues.
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Speaker 2: Who paid his dues? It's not there. It's narcissism. You
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Speaker 2: don't pay any dues. Life's a gift. What a privilege
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Speaker 2: to live it. What a joy it is to carry
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Speaker 2: out the assignment regardless of your calling.
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Speaker 3: Regardless.
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Speaker 2: Narcissism leads then to pessimism. I hardly need to describe that.
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Speaker 2: It's a person who moans and complains. I have nothing
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Speaker 2: to contribute. I'm over the hill. Everybody notices. Nobody cares.
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Speaker 2: I've been kicked out of life. So I've decided to
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Speaker 2: just quit. My past is meaningless and my future is bleak.
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Speaker 2: Woe is me! What a terrible way to think. You
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Speaker 2: think God isn't able to take you when he's ready
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Speaker 2: to take you? It leads to fatalism. This person lives
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Speaker 2: to die. The only thing in front of me is
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Speaker 2: a grave or a vase of ashes. He or she
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Speaker 2: has run out of hope. No energy. Sees nothing interesting
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Speaker 2: or important on the horizon. No sense of purpose. There's
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Speaker 2: no sense of humor, which means there is no reason
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Speaker 2: to keep on living. And I'll tell you, the misery
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Speaker 2: index of that mentality is woefully high. You bring no
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Speaker 2: joy to those around you. And for the life of me,
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Speaker 2: I cannot figure out why a person would want to
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Speaker 2: choose to think like that. Because your thinking is your choice.
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Speaker 2: No one makes you think a certain way. You choose
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Speaker 2: to think like that. Enough of that. Enough of that.
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Speaker 2: I've stayed on it for too long a time, but
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Speaker 2: it's because there is so much of that kind of
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Speaker 2: thinking around us that when you are an exception to it,
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Speaker 2: people can't believe you. They don't expect you to have
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Speaker 2: a great sense of humor when you pass 75 and
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Speaker 2: get into the 80s, 85. Expect you to be long-faced
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Speaker 2: and short-winded, making plans on which casket you want used
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Speaker 2: for your service. The misery index is high in that
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Speaker 2: whole mentality, and I suggest we fight it. like the plague.
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Speaker 2: How unlike Abraham, even though he would seem to be
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Speaker 2: a poster child for these very things, narcissism and pessimism
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Speaker 2: and fatalism, there was none of that in his life. None, none.
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Speaker 2: I mean, in a heartbreaking moment, he buries his wife, Sarah.
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Speaker 2: He's 137. You would think he'd go home, pull the shades,
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Speaker 2: lock the door, and plead with God to let him die. Why?
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Speaker 2: Why would he do that? God calls the shots on death.
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Speaker 2: So he doesn't. You know, by now in chapter 25,
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Speaker 2: he's pushing about 140. 142, 143 years of age for starters.
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Speaker 2: He's lost his lifelong companion. He's been through the ups
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Speaker 2: and downs with a nephew that was irresponsible. Not a
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Speaker 2: word of bitterness in his life about Lot, by the way.
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Speaker 2: He is... He's now alone. His son is married, found
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Speaker 2: a lovely bride. And Isaac and Rebecca ride off into
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Speaker 2: the sunset with romance and delight and marriage all over
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Speaker 2: the place. And here he's left with an empty house.
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Speaker 2: So what on earth does he have to live for?
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Speaker 2: What's his future? Well, it's quite surprising. For starters, he
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Speaker 2: marries another woman, verse 1. Took another wife whose name
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Speaker 2: was Keturah. She's not mentioned that much in the Bible.
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Speaker 2: 1 Chronicles 1, verses 32 and 33 mention her in
33:12
Speaker 2: another context. But he chooses her and she becomes his bride.
33:18
Speaker 2: And some of you are frowning, thinking, why would he
33:20
Speaker 2: want to do that? And I answer, why not? Furthermore,
33:26
Speaker 2: it's none of your business. Nobody died and left you
33:30
Speaker 2: in charge of who ought to get married when. Thank goodness.
33:35
Speaker 2: He'd had a great relationship with Sarah. He enjoyed a
33:37
Speaker 2: home and a marriage and family relationships. He had become
33:42
Speaker 2: accustomed to coffee and bagels every morning with his partner,
33:46
Speaker 2: and they enjoyed life together. Now, admittedly, it's not for everyone.
33:53
Speaker 2: I'm not trying to get anybody married. But there's something
33:59
Speaker 2: about a fresh romance. It gives you a little zip,
34:04
Speaker 2: a little vigor. Sometime Cynthia and I will lead a
34:11
Speaker 2: cruise or a tour to some part of the world.
34:15
Speaker 2: And it's always fun to meet new people. Invariably, there
34:19
Speaker 2: are some newlyweds whom we would never guess to be
34:24
Speaker 2: newlyweds because they both white hair Well, she probably doesn't
34:28
Speaker 2: have white hair, but it could be white if she
34:32
Speaker 2: chose to make it that color. Anyway, they're both getting
34:38
Speaker 2: up in years, and I got to correct them sometime.
34:41
Speaker 2: They're back in the back row, smooching up a storm
34:43
Speaker 2: as I'm trying to teach the Bible down front. There's
34:47
Speaker 2: something youthful and exciting and romantic about it. So, God
34:54
Speaker 2: had some surprises. He probably thought they were going to
34:57
Speaker 2: sit around the front porch and teach the dog to
34:59
Speaker 2: sit up and hang out. One day, she says to him, hey,
35:04
Speaker 2: I'm going to have a baby. And she, a few
35:12
Speaker 2: months later, says, hey, I'm going to have another baby. So,
35:18
Speaker 2: the second family is described for us in verse 2,
35:22
Speaker 2: names you can't pronounce. But here they are, six more kids.
35:30
Speaker 2: All boys. How good is that? I've done the math.
35:39
Speaker 2: Fifty-four months of pregnancies. Don't get your calculator out. I've
35:45
Speaker 2: already checked. But if you— they didn't have them back
35:49
Speaker 2: to back to back to back to back. They had
35:51
Speaker 2: to have a little bit of time in between, so
35:53
Speaker 2: let's say Three months in between, you've got to add
35:56
Speaker 2: 15 more months to all those other 54 months. Or
36:01
Speaker 2: let's say they waited six months in between. More likely,
36:05
Speaker 2: then you've got to add, well, 54 months of pregnancies
36:11
Speaker 2: and 30 months of in-betweens, and you've got seven years,
36:15
Speaker 2: 84 months. He's busy changing diapers, teaching them to walk,
36:23
Speaker 2: Potty training these boys. How fun was that? How old
36:28
Speaker 2: is Abraham? Well, he's about 140, 145 to start with.
36:38
Speaker 2: You wonder how Abraham stayed young? Think about it. Teaching
36:45
Speaker 2: six boys to drive a cart with six horses. not
36:53
Speaker 2: run off in the ditch, who play together without killing
37:02
Speaker 2: each other. And I mean, really, potty training him is
37:08
Speaker 2: enough to drive him to drink. I mean, the guy's
37:10
Speaker 2: got six kids, and he's got to work through all
37:13
Speaker 2: of that. You say, well, Chuck, come on. What do
37:16
Speaker 2: you think verse 2 means? You think they had babies, boop,
37:20
Speaker 2: and they're all come fully formed? I mean, they're just
37:23
Speaker 2: little runny-nosed kids that don't have any custom, don't have
37:27
Speaker 2: any manners, don't have any self-control, and they need parents.
37:32
Speaker 2: And so Keturah and Abraham roll up their sleeves and
37:36
Speaker 2: take on that responsibility. I love it. Gives a little
37:42
Speaker 2: bit about the result of their lives as their life
37:45
Speaker 2: went on, and Abraham watches with joy this whole second
37:49
Speaker 2: family emerge. You say, oh man, I would never want that. Well,
37:55
Speaker 2: I don't care what you would want. It's what Abraham did.
37:59
Speaker 2: That's what's important, which could make you think maybe God
38:04
Speaker 2: has a future for me. Now, I don't know that
38:07
Speaker 2: I want six kids, but you don't call that shot either.
38:15
Speaker 2: My mother told a story, I love it, about my
38:19
Speaker 2: dad She said, we were visiting your grandmother. I never
38:23
Speaker 2: knew where she died before I was born, but my
38:26
Speaker 2: mother had my brother. They were married in October, and
38:31
Speaker 2: then she had him by the following August. It works out.
38:37
Speaker 2: It works out. But she obviously got pregnant on the honeymoon.
38:42
Speaker 2: And then 13 months later, she has my sister. And then... Long,
38:50
Speaker 2: here I am in the womb, and she's pregnant for
38:53
Speaker 2: the third time. So they visit my dad's mother, who
38:56
Speaker 2: must have been a real pistol. Stood about 4 feet 5,
39:02
Speaker 2: probably weighed 90 pounds, dripping wet. She said, she looked
39:07
Speaker 2: at my mother waddling along with me and the two
39:10
Speaker 2: kids running around in diapers. She says, Earl, come here.
39:16
Speaker 2: Come here, son. My dad stood about 6'1, Yes, ma'am.
39:22
Speaker 2: The Bible says to be fruitful and multiply and replenish
39:25
Speaker 2: the earth. Earl, God never meant for one woman to
39:29
Speaker 2: do it all.
39:30
Speaker 3: All.
39:32
Speaker 2: Don't go there. So maybe your kids come back to
39:38
Speaker 2: back to back to back. Maybe they come spread out.
39:43
Speaker 2: He's got six kids. So guess what? He stays engaged.
39:50
Speaker 2: He's involved in their lives. Of course. He doesn't use
39:55
Speaker 2: age as an excuse. Oh, you take him to soccer.
39:59
Speaker 2: I'm going to sit on the front porch and teach
40:01
Speaker 2: the dog to sit up. I'm just going to hang
40:04
Speaker 2: out here. Nope. Look at the generosity. I love this.
40:11
Speaker 2: Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. You
40:16
Speaker 2: know what? Abraham's still living. That's not a will that
40:23
Speaker 2: transpired when he died. That's while he's alive. He's not through.
40:31
Speaker 2: The sons of his concubines, Abraham also gave gifts. Look
40:34
Speaker 2: at this. While he was still living, sent them away
40:40
Speaker 2: from his son Isaac eastward to the land of the east.
40:48
Speaker 2: How smart. How right. There's an old saying, do your
40:52
Speaker 2: giving while you're living, then you're knowing where it's going.
40:57
Speaker 2: You do your giving when it's later, you don't know
40:59
Speaker 2: what they're going to do with it. Some shyster lawyer
41:01
Speaker 2: gets a hold of it. Some bad plan, forget it.
41:04
Speaker 2: If you're an attorney, take no offense to that. You
41:06
Speaker 2: know what I mean. There are some good attorneys. Both
41:09
Speaker 2: of you are here today, I realize. It's a joke.
41:13
Speaker 2: It's just a joke, okay?
41:14
Speaker 1: Relax.
41:18
Speaker 2: I'm going to show you a verse most of you
41:21
Speaker 2: have never thought about. Okay? That'll be challenging enough to
41:26
Speaker 2: make you turn. 2 Corinthians 12. Okay? 2 Corinthians, not first.
41:33
Speaker 2: 2 Corinthians 12, tucked away toward the end of the book,
41:39
Speaker 2: of the letter. We're going to read some interesting words
41:44
Speaker 2: about doing your giving while you're living. Before I read
41:55
Speaker 2: that verse for you, I want to get a little
42:00
Speaker 2: more personal. Do you have a will? Is it in order?
42:08
Speaker 2: Come on now. Part of being a responsible adult. Do
42:13
Speaker 2: you have a will? In fact, is your entire estate
42:18
Speaker 2: spelled out? Right there, in writing. Signed, sealed, official. Have
42:29
Speaker 2: you been responsible in purchasing sufficient insurance given the unpredictability
42:36
Speaker 2: of the future? Or are you just going to let
42:38
Speaker 2: your family work it out? Here's another. Are you enjoying
42:47
Speaker 2: releasing your wealth while you're still alive, like Abraham did?
42:54
Speaker 2: Have you stopped to think how much the government will
42:56
Speaker 2: take if you don't do your business right? Come on.
43:05
Speaker 2: It's a biblical principle that we give to our children
43:09
Speaker 2: and their needs. They don't give to us. 2 Corinthians 12,
43:15
Speaker 2: verse 14. Here it is. Watch closely. Here for this
43:22
Speaker 2: third time I am ready to come to you and
43:24
Speaker 2: I will not be a burden to you for I
43:26
Speaker 2: do not seek what is yours but you. He's writing
43:29
Speaker 2: about an offering they said they would give. They haven't finished.
43:32
Speaker 2: He's saying I'm not trying to rip you off. I
43:34
Speaker 2: just want you to finish the offering. Get it finished.
43:37
Speaker 2: When I'm there I'll pick it up and be on
43:38
Speaker 2: my way. It's for your benefit. Look at the last
43:41
Speaker 2: part of the verse. 2 Corinthians 12 14 B. For
43:46
Speaker 2: children are not responsible to save up for their parents.
43:51
Speaker 2: Parents for their children. There it is. I could read
43:56
Speaker 2: it to you in the Greek, it reads the same way.
44:00
Speaker 2: Means exactly what it says. The message renders it, children
44:08
Speaker 2: shouldn't have to look out for their parents, parents look
44:10
Speaker 2: out for the children. I've heard parents make comments like
44:17
Speaker 2: you know i've worked all my life and now that
44:19
Speaker 2: i got him out of the house this is for
44:22
Speaker 2: us i'm spending my kids inheritance wait wait wait a
44:26
Speaker 2: minute you proud of that does that honor god is
44:33
Speaker 2: that what he would have you do if it is
44:35
Speaker 2: he doesn't really mean what he says in verse 14
44:43
Speaker 2: A principle that is not being promoted in this generation
44:47
Speaker 2: has resulted in very selfish aging parents who plan to
44:54
Speaker 2: spend their wealth on themselves. You say, well, I don't
44:56
Speaker 2: have any wealth. Well, compared to a third world, you're
44:59
Speaker 2: very wealthy. You and I both are. So we need
45:04
Speaker 2: to think about this. Parents who fail to think ahead
45:11
Speaker 2: find that there's an awkward reversal in roles where the
45:14
Speaker 2: child almost has to be the parent to the parent.
45:19
Speaker 2: I know there are extenuating circumstances. I know that sickness
45:22
Speaker 2: enters in. Please don't write me. I'm fully aware of that.
45:26
Speaker 2: I know that. But in more cases than not, we
45:30
Speaker 2: parents are well able to help with the generosity of
45:34
Speaker 2: our gifts to our children. I'll unveil something I don't
45:38
Speaker 2: normally talk about, but Cynthia and I have determined that
45:41
Speaker 2: we will help all of our grandchildren get an advanced education.
45:45
Speaker 2: It's our commitment to their parents and to the grandchildren.
45:50
Speaker 2: Not only does it help them in their very real need,
45:54
Speaker 2: it endears them to their grandparents. It's wonderful, our relationship
45:58
Speaker 2: we have with our grandchildren. The only reason I announce
46:01
Speaker 2: that is to give you an idea. We want to
46:04
Speaker 2: do it while we're living. I want to be there
46:07
Speaker 2: when they graduate. I want to be in the commencement
46:10
Speaker 2: ceremony and watch my granddaughter or grandson walk across the
46:14
Speaker 2: stage and take that diploma knowing I invested in that.
46:19
Speaker 2: Because an education goes with them forever. What a simple plan.
46:25
Speaker 2: We worked with a financial advisor, and I'll be honest
46:29
Speaker 2: with you, that financial advisor looked at what we wanted
46:31
Speaker 2: to do, and he said, I've never seen anything like this. Really?
46:38
Speaker 2: Why not? Many of you have far more than we'll
46:42
Speaker 2: ever have. What are you doing with it? You're going
46:46
Speaker 2: to take it with you to the casket? I've never
46:50
Speaker 2: seen any money in any hands in the casket. They're
46:54
Speaker 2: always open and they're always empty. And that money then
47:00
Speaker 2: is going to go somewhere else if you don't do
47:04
Speaker 2: your giving while you're living. Abraham chose to do that.
47:09
Speaker 2: By the way, don't be afraid of being generous. Don't
47:13
Speaker 2: be that suspicious. Let your generosity run its course. God
47:20
Speaker 2: will be honored in your giving, whatever it may be,
47:23
Speaker 2: in whatever way you wish to do it. You choose
47:26
Speaker 2: the way. Just make sure it's marked by generosity. Okay,
47:31
Speaker 2: we're back here to Abraham in Genesis 25. He gave
47:35
Speaker 2: that to Isaac and he already given some to Ishmael.
47:37
Speaker 2: He now gives to the others that are part of
47:40
Speaker 2: his life. And now look, I love the ending here
47:44
Speaker 2: at verse 7 down to verse 10. I love the
47:47
Speaker 2: way it reads. These are all the years of Abraham,
47:50
Speaker 2: of Abraham's life that he lived.
47:53
Speaker 1: 175.
47:53
Speaker 2: He lived all of those years. He didn't die 30
47:59
Speaker 2: years earlier. and was buried now. He lived all 175 years.
48:05
Speaker 2: Read on. Abraham breathed his last. Died in a ripe
48:10
Speaker 2: old age. An old man. Look at the word. Satisfied
48:17
Speaker 2: with life. How many people could you say that of?
48:24
Speaker 2: He died with a smile. He was Well, the Hebrew
48:30
Speaker 2: word is savah, S-A-H-B-A-H, savah. And it means to be full,
48:38
Speaker 2: to be full of years, to be full of satisfaction.
48:43
Speaker 2: I mean, his heart beat faster when the grandkids came
48:46
Speaker 2: around and the kids were there and he looked into
48:49
Speaker 2: their eyes, realizing I've helped you out. Now you've got
48:54
Speaker 2: a little launch pad. You can make it from here.
48:56
Speaker 2: You do this with your kids. And look how touching
49:04
Speaker 2: this ending is. Breathed his last, satisfied with life, was
49:12
Speaker 2: gathered to his people. Isn't that beautiful? For the first
49:16
Speaker 2: time now in a long time, he saw Sarah. as
49:21
Speaker 2: he comes into the presence of the Lord. See his
49:24
Speaker 2: body is buried but his soul is taken and will
49:28
Speaker 2: await the final resurrection. Remember we talked about that earlier.
49:33
Speaker 2: Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the
49:35
Speaker 2: cave of Machpelah. Don't you know they were proud of him?
49:39
Speaker 2: Don't you know there was no shame? They talked about it.
49:43
Speaker 2: They rehearsed his life. They smiled as they shared their stories.
49:52
Speaker 2: The field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth,
49:56
Speaker 2: there Abraham was buried with Sarah, his wife. I have
50:01
Speaker 2: one simple response. What a way to go. What a
50:05
Speaker 2: way to go. Don't cry for Abraham. Don't mourn his death.
50:13
Speaker 2: Rejoice in his life. Look at what he made of it.
50:16
Speaker 2: Look how he used it. It's marvelous. Now, that was
50:22
Speaker 2: then and that was Abraham. This is now. This is you.
50:26
Speaker 2: You and I live today for what we have before us.
50:31
Speaker 2: So let me give you a couple of secrets on
50:34
Speaker 2: finishing well. A couple of things I'm learning in my
50:39
Speaker 2: few years on this earth. One has to do with
50:42
Speaker 2: being faithful, the other has to do with being diligent. First,
50:48
Speaker 2: being faithful to remember that each day offers opportunities for
50:54
Speaker 2: staying young at heart. Each day offers opportunities for staying
51:01
Speaker 2: young at heart. Among them, choices, How about a choice
51:08
Speaker 2: of your attitude? Every morning, you make that choice. Today,
51:12
Speaker 2: I will be positive. I will look for the good things.
51:16
Speaker 2: I will be excited about what this day brings. I
51:19
Speaker 2: will anticipate some surprises along the way. Second would be
51:23
Speaker 2: a choice of your friends, your circle of friends. If
51:26
Speaker 2: they are negative, you're going to become negative. If they
51:30
Speaker 2: are selfish, you're going to become selfish. If they're tightwads,
51:33
Speaker 2: you're going to be a tightwad. If their world revolves
51:37
Speaker 2: around themselves, yours will too. Choose friends that lift your spirit,
51:43
Speaker 2: your activities and your involvements. I know you can't do
51:47
Speaker 2: all that you were able to do when you get
51:48
Speaker 2: up in years. That's understandable. In that exam with Cooper,
51:54
Speaker 2: he wanted me to get in certain positions, and my
51:57
Speaker 2: response was, you're kidding. You're really kidding. No, and he
52:02
Speaker 2: would do it. I'd go, yeah, thanks. That's great. Some
52:08
Speaker 2: things you can't do that you used to be able
52:10
Speaker 2: to do. That's all right. Another is your activities, your involvements,
52:15
Speaker 2: your cultivation of healthy habits, Staying in touch with the
52:20
Speaker 2: music of our day and the times in which we live,
52:24
Speaker 2: attending the symphony, going to concerts, being a part of
52:28
Speaker 2: the celebrations of life. Less television, more books. You will never,
52:34
Speaker 2: ever mature watching television. It has nothing to offer that
52:40
Speaker 2: will truly, truly change your life. Books are full of
52:44
Speaker 2: information that will transform you. How many books have you
52:47
Speaker 2: read this year? How many did you read last year?
52:51
Speaker 2: People can tell me the serials they watch on television
52:55
Speaker 2: more readily than they can tell me a book they read,
52:57
Speaker 2: even in a year's time. Should always be a book
53:01
Speaker 2: handy here, and if you're there, a book handy right there,
53:04
Speaker 2: so you're readily into them, reading them. It makes you
53:08
Speaker 2: a person of depth. Less food and more nourishment. How
53:16
Speaker 2: valuable is that? Less sitting around more exercise. You say, well, Chuck,
53:21
Speaker 2: I can't move like I used to. Can you walk?
53:26
Speaker 2: Try walking. That's what I do. Just walk. Now, it
53:31
Speaker 2: doesn't mean you kind of saunter along. Walk. Get out
53:38
Speaker 2: there and walk. I like the words of Satchel Paige.
53:43
Speaker 2: Six rules for staying. You know Satchel Paige? You baseball
53:47
Speaker 2: fans know he's the old venerable baseball star of yesteryear.
53:51
Speaker 2: He gives six rules for staying young. These are great.
53:55
Speaker 2: Number one. Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
53:59
Speaker 2: That's not going to go over in the South, I'll
54:02
Speaker 2: tell you. They fry everything. Number two. If your stomach
54:07
Speaker 2: disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
54:12
Speaker 2: Isn't that good? Number three. Keep the juices flowing by
54:17
Speaker 2: jangling around gently as you move. Jangling around. Every once
54:25
Speaker 2: in a while, I'll come toward Cynthia jangling around. Hey,
54:32
Speaker 2: how you doing? That's all you need to know. Number four.
54:42
Speaker 2: Number four, go very gently on the vices. such as
54:46
Speaker 2: carrying on in society the social ramble ate restful. Will
54:51
Speaker 2: you behave yourself morally as you get older? Will you
54:56
Speaker 2: stay away from porn sites on the internet? Many of
55:03
Speaker 2: those who view the porn sites I hear and I
55:06
Speaker 2: read about are aging men and women. What is that about?
55:12
Speaker 2: That's filth. Stay away from those vices. Number five, avoid
55:20
Speaker 2: running at all times. I like that. When I do
55:25
Speaker 2: my walk in the neighborhood, there's a young woman that runs.
55:29
Speaker 2: She's so thin, she looks like a zipper. I can
55:34
Speaker 2: hear her coming right by me. Not that I'm watching
55:41
Speaker 2: her or anything, but it's like It's like being caught
55:44
Speaker 2: in a little windstorm. I want to go, fly! You
55:50
Speaker 2: can walk. Number six, don't look back. Somebody might be
55:57
Speaker 2: gaining on you. I like that one. That's good. Hey,
56:03
Speaker 2: stay at it. Stay at life. Stay at life. Everybody
56:12
Speaker 2: around you wants you to, and your family doesn't know
56:15
Speaker 2: how to say this to you, so they asked me
56:17
Speaker 2: to say something about it today. So I'm doing it.
56:21
Speaker 2: We all admire Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth is what? He's
56:25
Speaker 2: a slugger. I mean, in his day, he was the
56:27
Speaker 2: home run hitter of the world, the star for the Yankees.
56:32
Speaker 2: And what makes it interesting is that Babe Ruth, home
56:37
Speaker 2: run king, 714 homers in his career, But very few
56:42
Speaker 2: people realize he struck out more than any other baseball
56:47
Speaker 2: player in the history of the game 1,330 times. Struck out.
56:56
Speaker 2: But you know what you remember? He hit those homers.
57:02
Speaker 2: His words, what's the secret of your success? I quote,
57:10
Speaker 2: I just keep going up there and I just keep
57:13
Speaker 2: swinging at them. Every day, men and women, I just
57:19
Speaker 2: keep swinging at it. Every day when it's my time
57:24
Speaker 2: to get in that study, put my bottom in my
57:28
Speaker 2: seat and sit there at that desk to study, I
57:31
Speaker 2: go at it as if it's the most important work
57:34
Speaker 2: of my entire life. It's my job, it's my calling.
57:40
Speaker 2: You deserve nothing less. In return, how wonderful it is
57:48
Speaker 2: when we can see a life like Abraham who comes
57:51
Speaker 2: to the end satisfied. Satisfied. All right, that's number one.
58:00
Speaker 2: Being faithful to remember that everyday opportunities come for staying
58:05
Speaker 2: young at heart. Okay, the second secret. Being diligent to
58:09
Speaker 2: refuse to give up. Right to the very end, determine
58:19
Speaker 2: that you will never stop living until they put a
58:24
Speaker 2: mirror under your nose and there's no frost, no breath,
58:30
Speaker 2: and you're gone. Don't quit. People who quit become statistics
58:40
Speaker 2: that are really not very exciting. Back to Satchel Paige,
58:45
Speaker 2: I got a great question to end with. He's the
58:49
Speaker 2: one who said, how old would you be if you
58:54
Speaker 2: didn't know how old you were? Isn't that a good question?
59:00
Speaker 2: How old would you be if you didn't know how
59:02
Speaker 2: old you were? For whatever it's worth, let me tell
59:08
Speaker 2: you something. Not for all the money in the world
59:12
Speaker 2: would I be any other age but this age. I
59:15
Speaker 2: love it. Man, I get away with stuff I could
59:20
Speaker 2: have never gotten away with when I was younger. I
59:27
Speaker 2: like going to the grocery store, and when I finish shopping,
59:29
Speaker 2: they take all this out, and the young guy that
59:31
Speaker 2: sacks the groceries says, you need help getting out to
59:34
Speaker 2: the car? And I say, you want me to carry you? No, sir.
59:39
Speaker 2: I said, no, I don't need any help, but I
59:40
Speaker 2: thank you. I'll carry you. That's why they make these carts,
59:45
Speaker 2: you know. I can make it. So can you. You
59:51
Speaker 2: may live alone. Your future may not seem that bright.
59:55
Speaker 2: Your family may have even turned against you. You may
59:57
Speaker 2: not have that great a marriage. I understand. I'm sorry
1:00:02
Speaker 2: that's true, if it is. Maybe your kids don't respect you.
1:00:07
Speaker 2: Maybe those people where you worked have forgotten you. You
1:00:10
Speaker 2: may have once been on the speed dial of those
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Speaker 2: who wanted somebody to speak at a gathering and your
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Speaker 2: phone doesn't ring anymore. You're still alive. You still have
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Speaker 2: a future and a hope. And when it's over, trust me,
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Speaker 2: God has no trouble saying, come on. You and I
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Speaker 2: are going to take this last walk together. Until then,
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Speaker 2: stay at it. Lord, some of us need to hear
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Speaker 2: this more than others. We realize that we're in a
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Speaker 2: strange era. Where we expect somebody else to do something
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Speaker 2: for us. Stupid concept that the government takes care of us.
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Speaker 2: Or that we lean on somebody else to do what
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Speaker 2: we ought to be doing for ourselves. How valuable it
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Speaker 2: is that we live responsible lives. Deliver us from the
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Speaker 2: self-pity of our day and all the bad news and
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Speaker 2: all the laziness and lethargy that accompanies so many beyond
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Speaker 2: the age of 50. How tragic. Raise up from this
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Speaker 2: message a body of men and women who take life
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Speaker 2: by the throat and live it to the full. Use
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Speaker 2: models like we've heard about today to remind us that
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Speaker 2: we're only as old as we think. And I especially
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Speaker 2: ask you to remind us of the importance of staying generous.
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Speaker 2: May we hold all the things you've provided for us very,
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Speaker 2: very loosely. May we be quick to give and slow
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Speaker 2: to keep count or watching others. Awaken us each day
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Speaker 2: with the joy of realization that this is a new
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Speaker 2: day planned by the living God for our good and
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Speaker 2: for his glory. Use this message in a special way,
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Speaker 2: not just for the older, but for younger as well.
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Speaker 2: And remind us, Lord, that your plan for us is
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Speaker 2: filled with surprises, and they're all for your purpose and glory.
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Speaker 2: We pray this, our Father, in the matchless name of Jesus,
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Speaker 2: who died at age 33, having lived every day to
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Speaker 2: the fullest. In his name we pray. Everybody said?
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Speaker 1: Amen.
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Speaker 3: The preceding message, What a Way to Go, was copyrighted
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Speaker 3: in 2013 and 2014, and the sound recording was copyrighted
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Speaker 3: in 2014 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights are
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Speaker 3: reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is
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Speaker 3: strictly prohibited. In the preceding message, Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.
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Speaker 3: is grateful to Stonebriar Community Church for permission to use
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Speaker 3: their 2013 performance of Into Jerusalem, words by Susan K. Fair,
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Speaker 3: music by A. Stephen Taranto, arrangement copyrighted in 1996 by
1:03:53
Speaker 3: Choristers Guild.