Valley View Chapel January 1, 2017 Last Words 1 Kings 2:1-4, Introduction

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1 1 Valley View Chapel January 1, 2017 Last Words 1 Kings 2:1-4, Introduction I had planned to deliver a message on Paul s last words to Timothy. My text was to be the concluding verses of Paul s last recorded correspondence, taken from 2 Timothy 4. Robbie prepared the media presentation the week before Christmas and so everything was goodto-go for this morning. Last Monday morning I was reading the opening verses of 1 Kings the account of David s last words to Solomon, Israel s next king, and David s subsequent death. As I wrote down my thoughts from this passage, I became increasingly convinced that I had to change my message. The title would remain the same Last Words but instead of Paul s last words I was led to preach on David s last words. Contained in today s text are three biblical principles that I have stressed again and again to this congregation over the past thirteen years. Each one lies at the very heart of my core convictions. No doubt many of you have heard these things before. It was the English literary master Samuel Johnson who said: We need to be reminded more than we need to be instructed. So today, in my last message as your Pastor, I want to remind you of three precious and practical truths from the Word of God. Prayer We pray that your written Word of Scripture may now and always be our rule; Your Holy Spirit our Teacher; and Your greater glory our supreme concern through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN Death is real We don t need the Bible to remind us that death is real. It was brought home to us in stunning fashion just this past week. Star Wars fans were saddened by the sudden death of Carrie Fisher who suffered a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles. Though she lingered for several days in a Los Angeles hospital, there was no possibility of her recovery and her death came as no surprise. Then day after her daughter s death, her mother, beloved film legend Debbie Reynolds, died suddenly from a massive stroke. Music fans are still grieving over the unexpected passing of George Michael on Christmas Day. The singer, who sold tens of millions of albums as a member of the duo known as Wham! Was only 53. The Bible is as current as the Home Page on your computer. We re told in 1 Kings 2:1, 10 that The time drew near for David to die. David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. For 40 years, David had been the most powerful man in the world. His authority and influence knew no bounds. Yet, he still died. His power, his influence, his wealth and his accomplishments could not prolong his life.

2 2 The cryptic words of the cynical playwright George Bernard Shaw continue to ring true: One out of one, die. Though Shaw lived to be 94, he became his own self-fulfilling prophecy. Benjamin Franklin said the same thing a little differently in a letter written in 1789, Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. How should we respond in light of this universal and inescapable truth? For the answer we turn to Stephen Covey and his second habit of highly successful people : Begin with the end in mind. Covey wrote, concerning this habit: Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty--successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster. It's a sad thing when people come to the end of their lives only to realize that they have leaned their ladder against the wrong wall the wall of success, wealth, power, achievement, or some other unworthy goal. The Apostle Paul leaned the ladder of his life on the right wall, which is why he could say as the time neared for his death: The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (NIV) Paul knew what was really important in life and he strove after it. Do we know what is really important in life? What is the really important thing? There s a famous scene in the movie City Slickers where Billy Crystal's character, Mitch, is alone with Curly, played by Jack Palance. Curly is giving Mitch some life advice. Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [holds up one finger] This. One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that. Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?" Curly: That's what you have to find out. Mitch never unwrapped the mystery of the one thing. But we have the answer in the Bible. Paul revealed it to the Corinthians: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (NIV) Jesus clarified what it meant to do everything for the glory of God when he said in John 17:4, I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. (NIV) So what is the work that God gave you to do? It is to do everything for the glory of God. But how does this play-out in real life? Ah! That is for each of us to discover. But here is the principle that is the foundation for everything about our lives: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, Love your neighbor as yourself. " Luke 10:27 (NIV) Measure everything you do, everything you say, every plan you make with two questions in mind: Is this an expression of my love for God and my love for people?

3 3 If we want to leave a legacy of godliness, integrity, and love, we need to begin today to glorify God in everything by loving him and loving others. When my wife and children gather at my casket, I don t want them to remember that I preached a pretty good sermon or that I was a Red Sox fan or that I loved classical music. I want them to remember times when they saw my love for God and my love for them. With obedience comes blessing; with disobedience comes judgment On his deathbed, David said to his son: Be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go. 1 Kings 2:2-3 (NIV) That sounds remarkably similar to the charge that the LORD gave to Joshua upon the death of Moses: Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:7-8 (NIV) Herein is the prescription for God s blessing. Obey God s laws. Play the game of life God s way and ultimately, things will go well for us. What, exactly, do we mean by God s blessing? I love the definition offered by Kent Hughes in his book Blessed Are the Born Again. Blessing, he said, is the approval of God. So, when I pray that God will bless you, I m praying that God will approve of you. So, what is the secret of God s approval? We have to know his Word; believe his Word; and obey his Word through the power of the risen Christ who lives in us in the person of his Holy Spirit. All things being equal, the same principle applies to other aspects of life. With obedience to the laws of health comes good health and long life. With obedience to your car s owner s manual comes a reliable car that will serve you well for a long time. With obedience to the laws of money management comes a good credit score and manageable debt. With obedience to the laws of human sexuality comes a clear conscience and no regrets. But there is another side to the coin with disobedience to God s laws comes bad things. This principle is as ancient as the Garden of Eden. Do you know what I think is the saddest verse in the Bible? Genesis 5:5 - Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. (NIV) It wasn t supposed to end that way! According to God s original plan, Adam was never supposed to die. But he disobeyed God s command, a command given for his life and happiness and prosperity. Before I was found by Christ, I used to think that I could live my way and be happy or live God s way and be miserable. Just the opposite is true. Obedience to the laws of God is the key to the life I ve always wanted.

4 4 With obedience comes the life that Jesus promised us in John 10:10, I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (MSG) Here is the pattern for blessing that Joshua gave to the Israelites and David passed-on to Solomon: KNOW God s Word BELIEVE God s Word OBEY God s Word RELY on the power of the Holy Spirit WITHOUT GOD, WE CAN T; WITHOUT US, GOD WON T I first heard those words from Lloyd Ogilvie when he was Chaplain of the United States Senate during the first George W. Bush administration. He was speaking at Walter Reed Hospital to soldiers, staff, and other guests. I had been invited to attend by a former military officer. But the principle is older than King David. David learned it from Joshua who learned it from Moses. David laid out the responsibilities incumbent on Solomon. I quoted this earlier in another context but it bears repeating here: Be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses. 1 Kings 2:2-3 (NIV) GOD wasn t going to do this for Solomon. There are certain things for which we are responsible. The Lord wants the whole world to hear the truth of the gospel. But Jesus gave his Church the task of getting the job done: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NLT) The Lord wants to provide financially for his Name to be glorified and his work to be done. But he has charged his people with the privilege of paying the bills: Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Malachi 3:10 (NIV) The Lord wants us to know his Word and live-it-out in our daily lives but we have a part to play: How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:9-11 (NIV) God wants to be praised in this house today. But the band had to practice. God wants us to remember his Son s death on the cross for our sins in this house today. But the Deaconesses had to prepare communion. God wants you to hear Bible truth in this house today. But the preacher had to prepare a message. If you have attended Valley View Chapel for the last 13 years, you ve heard this quote at least a half dozen times.

5 5 The book (other than the Bible) that has helped me more in my Christian life than any other is The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. He began the book with an illustration that perfectly explains Lloyd Ogilvie s point: WITHOUT GOD, WE CAN T; WITHOUT US, GOD WON T. A farmer plows his field, sows the seed and fertilizes and cultivates all the while knowing that in the final analysis he is utterly dependent on forces outside of himself. He knows he cannot cause the seed to germinate, nor can he produce the rain and sunshine for growing and harvesting the crop. For a successful crop, he is dependent on these things from God. Yet the farmer knows that unless he diligently pursues his responsibilities to plow, plant, fertilize and cultivate, he cannot expect a harvest at the end of the season. In a sense he is in a partnership with God and he will reap the benefits only when he has fulfilled his own responsibilities. The source of wisdom is God. The path to wisdom is the road of strenuous effort and discipline. The result of wisdom is a treasure of good sense. Following this process, our lives will demonstrate integrity and authenticity. Farming is a joint venture between God and the farmer. The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do. Conclusion So, after more than 13 years of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ, it comes down to this. Death is real. Leave a legacy worthy of the God we serve. Trust and obey for there s no other way to be happy in Jesus. Be faithful to the that to which God has called you and he will be faithful to do what only he can do. Prayer Last Words On March 31, 1974 I was installed as the Pastor of the Abington Alliance Church in Abington, MA. At my installation service, a hymn was sung by A.B. Simpson, the founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. It s simply called My Trust. The words go like this: Lord, Thou hast given to me a trust, a high and holy dispensation, To tell the world and tell I must the story of Thy great salvation. Thou mightst have sent from heaven above angelic hosts to tell the story, But in Thy condescending love, on Man Thou hast conferred the glory. Let me be faithful to my trust, and use me for Thy glory.

6 6 For over thirteen years in the gracious providence of God you have allowed me to stand before you week-by-week and tell the story of God s great salvation. There is no higher privilege that can be afforded a man than to open the Bible and declare the unfathomable riches of divine truth. You have loved Emily and me. You have served with us; prayed for us; encouraged us; and supported us. We have walked through mountaintops and valleys with you, and you with us. You have our hearts and our love forever. Thank you. Benediction Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.