If I Only Had 1 Year To Live

Introduction

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But kids, it’s back to school. You’re going to have to engage that mind that has gone to mush over the last couple of weeks. And I’m here this morning at the very beginning of this lesson to assist you and to get it going, to get it ready. So, what do the following four numbers have in come? Don’t hurt yourself. Well, the first number is sort of look familiar, doesn’t it? And you might figure out as a result that I’m talking about a single year. That in this case, 2013, consists of 365 days, 8,000, 760 hours, and so on. But you know we don’t have that much time left in 2013. Because we’re already into the sixth day of the year.

How quickly time passes. And as the new year began, I saw this little thing on Facebook that I thought was a pretty neat idea, except it said 365. Today is the first blank page in a 360-page book. Right a good one. So what if your life, the year 2013, consisted of 365 pages, each day a blank page. What do you want written in the book of your life? Would it contain as it does today? Occasions of worship. A life focused on God, for godliness. Emphasis, sufficient attention being given to the needs of your soul. And that’s why that gets the big check mark, because that’s what our book needs to consist of. This morning I want to talk to you very briefly about this idea. What if you had only one year to live?

2013 is going to be it. That’s all you’ve got. We’ve already lived five days of this year. Down to that 360 page book. If you knew that you had just one year to live, what would that change? If anything.

He had ALS. He was not diagnosed with that while I was still at Eastside and I left six and a half years ago. And so to see to witness his decline, my golfing buddy. This was a man that you looked at and you would not think athletic prowess. But he picked up golf in retirement and was better than I was. Of course, that’s not that surprising. He was also the two time, a two-time national casting champion, very talented man, and he has now passed from this life. And so Thursday, I spent a good portion of the day in Baytown visiting with his family members and also with Mark Hines, the new preacher there at Eastside, who’s a good friend of mine. And during my stay there, I ran into one of the members whose name is Randy Hogue.

And Randy was at Eastside for most of the time that I was there. He has a heart condition not unlike that of his mother who passed away not very long ago, a couple of years ago, Jean Ann Hogue. And the doctors have informed him that he would be fortunate to live another year, that his heart is simply going to quit doing the work, and he’s going to pass away. The doctor said, a year. And so I was talking to Randy. You look at him, you wouldn’t know that this is going on in his life. But this may be his very last year. And so I talked to Randy for a little while about his approach to life. He had a good attitude about it. I’ll take each day that I can, and I’ll make the best of it.

So what if you were Randy Hogue? But who knows that we’re even going to have a year to live? We understand that we should not boast about tomorrow because who knows what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27 and verse 1. Really, this day, this moment is really all that we’re guaranteed. And so what I’m talking about, assuming the Lord allows this world to stand another year, we may not even have this long. But let’s just project out at least that far. 360 days. Let’s assume that we might have that many days. Would that change if you knew that’s all that you had? May I suggest six things with you quickly this morning? What would you do if you knew that your situation was indeed that terminal?

1. Leave Nothing Undone That Needs Doing

It’s terminal for all of us. What would you do? Number one, I would believe that you would attempt to leave nothing undone. That needs doing.

Having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do, and now glorify thou me together with thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. It’s wonderful that Jesus could say about his earthly work and mission, I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. Can we say that about ourselves? That we have accomplished the work that God has given to us. Who knows what God might have planned to accomplish in and through you? Do you think you’re meeting his desires for you? Would you say that you are accomplishing the work? Paul said, I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. I fought a good fight, he says in 2 Timothy chapter 4. The time of my departure is at hand.

And there’s laid up for me a crown of righteousness, very similar to what Jesus says, the glory that I had with thee before the world was. And not to me only, but to all those who love his appearing. I’ve always been attracting that last part of the verse in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 8, when he says, There’s a crown of life laid up for me, and not for me only, but for all those who love his appearing. That needs to be us. That needs to be you. What does that mean? The word is agape for love there. That is, we serve the interests of his appearing. That is, that’s most important to us. We love his appearing. We can’t wait to be glorified with him and with his saints on that day.

2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 10. That’s the most important thing. I’m going to be ready when he comes, and that may be in 2013. So we need to accomplish the work. We need to make sure that we are spiritually attuned and focused and doing what the Lord wants us to do as he might return. But I’ll tell you what we tend to do. And I know our young people are getting ready to go back to school. You know that you’re prone to do this, and that is to procrastinate. We want to wait until the last possible second. This test, this project, this paper, it’s been there. We knew it was there, but we wait till the very last possible moment. This would be like a preacher writing his sermons on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Thankfully, I never got into that habit. But waiting to the last possible second to get things done. I have a kid like that. His name is Brett. He starts packing on Friday night. He’s still packing on Saturday morning. He got up before Sherry and me. He’s still packing. We’re ready to leave at 9 30. Well, actually, we were supposed to leave at 9 30 to go to the airport. And he’s still packing. Waiting until the last second to get it done. Finally, I said, Sunny, let me take up. I started throwing everything into the bag, and we get, we’re off five minutes later. Procrastination. Are we waiting for some better time, some better occasion to deal with that nagging problem of sin? To deal with what we know has been spiritual neglect.

2. More Engaged in Prayer

To grow up in our faith. If we knew we only had one year to live, would that affect anything? And let me suggest this, the second thing. If you knew that you had only one year to live, wouldn’t you think that you would be more engaged in prayer? That your day would begin with prayer, that it would end with prayer, and that you would punctuate your day throughout with prayer. That’s what it means. Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 17. Do you think if you knew you had only one year to live, that you would spend more time in prayer than you ever had? You know, when I talk to believers like you, they all say the same thing. I know I don’t pray as much as I should.

We know the pray without ceasing passage. There’s also Romans 12 and verse 10 that says, be devoted to prayer. In other words, be devoted to God through your prayers. And thus pray often or pray continually, as we see in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 17. And yet all believers that I know of would confess, I know I do not pray as much as I should. I’m not going to ask for a show of hands. But if you knew you had only one year to live.

Starting with today. What’s the problem? Why is it that professed believers don’t pray like they should? Do we not believe in God? Oh, I think we believe in God. That’s not the problem. Maybe we don’t believe God is listening to our prayers. Maybe we think we are so bad that God is tuning us out.

Maybe we think we, or maybe we convinced ourselves we don’t know how to pray. Or maybe even more that we don’t have the time. Really? We don’t have the time, or we don’t make the time to pray. But you know what the problem is. It’s not any of those things. The problem is the world. And our affection for it. The problem is what Jesus addressed in the Sermon on the Mount. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth. Where moth and rust do destroy and thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Well, we don’t have to worry about that thieves’ part. I mean, that’s why we have security systems. That’s why we have the police. That’s why we have locks on our doors and deadbolts. We have all the security now. And so we can protect ourselves and protect our stuff, but again, that’s not going to be ours forever. Your beloved house or your beloved car or your beloved things, they’re not going to be yours forever. So let’s not get too attached. So we think we have all this security. We don’t have to worry too much about the thieves breaking in and stealing. If they break in your house, we know you have a gun to take care of business. Isn’t that right, Mike? Hallelujah. So security is not the issue.

But it’s still all temporary. The reason we don’t pray is the influence of the world. That’s it. But if I knew death was imminent, I would probably value more. Time of communion with my Father. I want you to look at Psalm 39. I wish that I could accomplish the very thing David prays. And perhaps this is why he prayed it. Lord, Psalm 39 and verse 4, Lord, make me to know my end. And what is the extent of my days. Let me know how transient or short-lived I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as handbreads, and my lifetime as nothing in thy sight. Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Surely every man walks about as a phantom. Surely they make an uproar for nothing.

He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. You know we all get excited about things, about different things. And I’m not going to begrudge you your excitement about those things. It is the stuff of life. And if you’re an AM fan and you watch Johnny football Friday night, that was fun. Even if you’re not an AM fan, that should have been fun. What an incredible player he is. But you know, if you don’t get this right, that’s all an uproar for nothing. It’s all temporary and short lived. We need to understand that about the events and things in our lives. Lord, make me to know my end. And what has always impressed me about this verse is David has not been on this globe for nearly three millennia.

Three thousand years. He might have said these words in the prime of his life. 49ish. He said these things in the prime of his life. Lord, make me to know my end. He’s been gone for three thousand years. I mentioned going to that funeral over in Baytown. It’s almost hard for me to believe it’s been six and a half years since I left Baytown. Only six and a half years, and I have seen in that time so much death. My golfing buddy this week, I mean, we would go out and walk 18 holes. Well, he was in his 60s, but he was in great health, and now he’s gone. How many funerals have I seen? How many people did I see Thursday night? And I said to myself, wow.

People age a lot in just six. They were saying that of me. But people age so much in just six and a half years. How much things had changed. And it just reminded me, it could not help but remind me of how quickly we’re being hurled through this life.

3. Spend Sufficient Time Digesting the Will of God

So if I only had one year to live, I would probably be more engaged in prayer and spend more time, spend sufficient time digesting the will of God. I would make sure I hadn’t missed anything. That everything that involved my corporation, my involvement with the body of Christ, and everything in my personal life that I have not missed any needed instruction. The blessed man is the one who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, as we read in Psalm 1 and verse 1, but he meditates in the law of the Lord and he meditates in it day and night. What does that mean? And that person is like a tree planted by rivers of water that yields its fruit and its season, and whatever he does, it prospers.

I’m going to quote that in sermons about every three months because we need to be engaged in meditation. Thinking about the work. We want to be that flourishing tree that’s getting the proper nutrients. That’s what it means to let Jesus dwell within your soul. Or another song that we sing. Take the name of Jesus with you. That’s what it means. We need to think about the word of God and the impact it’s supposed to be having in my life day by day in the way that I think. The way that I treat others.

Even my regard, the proper regard for myself. I want you to look at Psalm 119. Psalm 11. Again, this is a marvel, this Psalm. The fact that such amazing thoughts can be had of the Word of God. And we’re not even talking about all that we have. All 66 books of the Bible. We’re talking about just the Old Testament scriptures, and some of that was still in composition, like the Psalms. And this Psalm talks and lauds the Word of God. How can a young man, verse 9, keep his way pure by keeping it according to thy word? With all my heart I have sought thee. Do not let me wander from thy commandments. Verse 10, and then this.

That I may not sin against you. Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes. With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of thy mouth. More on that in a moment. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches. There’s lay up for yourself treasures in heaven. I will meditate on thy precepts and regard thy ways, and I shall delight in thy statutes. I shall not forget thy word. Do you think we would do better at remembering if we realized we had only one year to live? That we would let the word of Christ richly dwell within us, Colossians chapter 3 and verse 16. And what would you say to other people? That’s what he says here in Psalm 119.

4. Tell Others the Saving Information

He will treasure the word in his heart that he might not sin against him. And then later he said, With my lips I have told of all the ordinances of thy mouth. Do you think maybe we would overcome the fear that has kept us from spreading the news to someone who is close to us, someone that we know? The saving information for their souls? Would you seize that opportunity if you knew you had only one year to live? Would you say something to family members about their need to respond obediently to the Lord? I think if you knew death was imminent, you would want to say something to every member of your family. If they were going to live beyond this year, or it seemed that they were going to live beyond you, that you would want to say something to them about the importance of spiritual things, and about seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

5. Allow My Destination to Control My Disposition

I think the problem of being ashamed wouldn’t be the problem that it sometimes is to us. We wouldn’t be concerned about what others thought about us. Everyone who does the will of God is my mother and my brother. Jesus says in Mark chapter 3 and verse 35, isn’t it wonderful when family members are members of the body of Christ? And finally, if I had only one year to live, I would allow my destination to control my disposition. So often it is our circumstances that affects the way we think and thus the way we behave. But if our treasures are laid up in heaven, that’s going to positively affect the way I respond to circumstances. And I tell you, I need this particular point. We need to allow our destination to control our disposition.

Here’s the reason why. I can’t control my circumstances. I can’t control what other people do or don’t do. I can’t control what other people say or don’t say. Do you realize how many things are completely out of your control? You can be the best driver in this world and still be in an accident. Right before I moved to Auburn, I was in Baytown and headed to the church building after lunch to do some study. And I was going through that intersection I’d been through a thousand times. And there was this car just to the left of me, and I was in the middle lane. There was another lane over here.

The next thing I know, there was a truck with a trailer with mowing equipment and all of that yard equipment. I mean, it was right, he had turned right in front of us, and we both just nailed him. I mean, I guess I reacted pretty quickly, but it wouldn’t have mattered. I was going to hit that truck. He can be the best driver in the world, and that deer still takes out the front end of your juke, doesn’t it? And Gary’s not here, but he’s really good at hitting deer. Things happen that you cannot control. People behave in ways that you cannot control. But you know what you can control in every circumstance is the way you think. The way you react. Your attitude. And what we need to think about is, you know, instead of me trying to control it, control freaks.

There are some in this audience I know. Cherry would say I am. We try to control things as much as we can. I guess some of that’s okay, but you can’t control everything. But I know you can control this. Your disposition. We cannot become enslaved to our circumstances. Isn’t this great that we’ve been liberated from that by this message? But we can control our affections. We can set them on things above. Only you can do that. I think sometimes the ineffectiveness of teaching and preaching is because of that very thing. You know, you can’t just reach out of there in the audience. It doesn’t matter how effectively it may or may not be delivered. The only person that can set their affections on things above is you.

You’ve got to decide to do that. And the most passionate, well-written, well-delivered sermon, it’s only going to have a temporary effect unless you decide to run with it. And set your affections on things above. And to have the kind of character that, regardless of circumstances, is going to be controlled by who you are rather than what’s happened. Probably would all do a lot better thinking about where we’re going. The glory that I had with thee before the world was that Jesus ascribed in John 17. We would do a lot better thinking about that in those times of crisis if we knew that our time here was very temporary.

Conclusion

Now you know, as I said by way of introduction, I can’t guarantee you 2013. But even if I could guarantee you 2040 or 2050, please see how temporary that is.

That time when you obey the gospel, and I love the way that’s written, when you believe, the initial belief that you had that placed you in Christ, that initial moment of belief, whatever that was, when you were baptized into Christ, you are closer right now than you’ve ever been. To standing before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the things done in your body, whether they be good or bad. And so, however motivating this concept might be, I only have one year to live, and I’m going to make the best of it, and I’m going to be spiritually invested in these six areas, and I’m going to be ready to be my God. However motivating that might be, we ought to be that motivated regardless. Because it is shortly.

Lord, make me to know my end. And how transient I am. And if you had a healthy respect for that, and you knew that the word of God is saying, I’m lost in my sins. I’ve not had my sins washed in the blood of Christ in baptism. I think you would probably take advantage of this very moment to respond in obedience to the gospel. And I know you would do that if you knew that this afternoon it was all going to be over. I know you would. So why do you wait? Or if there’s something in your life that you’ve been putting on hold, you know it needs fixing. How much longer are you going to wait? There’s so many, so many texts in the scripture that talk about the foolishness of waiting, the five wise virgins, the five foolish virgins of Matthew chapter 25.

That’s the whole point of that story. You’ve got to watch. You’ve got to be sober. You’ve got to be ready. Are you ready to meet the Lord? Look, I know what we do at the end of the sermon. We start getting all of our people together, hear things rustling, and I worry about that. What are we telling people? This isn’t that important. This is also important. Somebody may need to respond. This is not just another invitation, not just another invitation song. It’s not just another assembly. This is an opportunity. And we’ve been clicking them off week after week, service after service. Ultimately, those opportunities run out. So do you need to respond? We sing a song to encourage your response. Let’s say.